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Leonie Orton

Emma Parker

Sally Norman

Jenna Forbes

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Sheila Hancock

Nikolai Foster

Samira Ahmed

Ekene Akalawu

Front Row: Joe Orton

Joe Orton

11/08/2017

BBC Radio 4 - Front Row, Joe Orton

An exploration of the life and legacy of the playwright Joe Orton.

An exploration of the life and legacy of the playwright Joe Orton whose plays, Entertaining Mr Sloane, Loot, and What The Butler Saw, challenged British theatre in the 1960s.

A special edition exploring the life and legacy of the playwright Joe Orton

Leonie Orton, Joe Orton's youngest sister, has written a memoir of her life, I Had It In Me, in which she describes the childhood in Leicester she shared with Joe Orton and how his death led her to question and change her life. She meets Samira at the Pork Pie Library which she and Joe used to regularly visit. 

Dr Emma Parker has co-curated two exhibitions inspired by Joe Orton: What the Artist Saw: Art Inspired by the Life and Work of Joe Orton, is on at the New Walk Museum and Art Gallery in Leicester until 22 October and Crimes of Passion: The Story of Joe Orton is on at the National Justice Museum in Nottingham until 1 October

Sally Norman, co-founder and co-director of Soft Touch Arts in Leicester, and her assistant Jenna Forbes, discuss their new community arts exhibition Breaking Boundaries: Joe Orton and Me which is on at Soft Touch Arts until 8 September.

Theatre critic John Lahr, author of the acclaimed Joe Orton biography, Prick Up Your Ears, discusses Orton's skill and significance as a playwright.

The actor Sheila Hancock shares her memories of performing in Joe Orton's first stage play, Entertaining Mr Sloane, during its first Broadway run in 1965.

The artistic director of Curve theatre, Nikolai Foster, talks about his experience of staging Joe Orton's final play, What The Butler Saw, at Curve earlier this year.

Presenter: Samira Ahmed
Producer: Ekene Akalawu.

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

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