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Clearly modelled on the Butlin's Holiday Camp phenomenon, which we were later to see depicted in the popular TV comedy series Hi-De-Hi, The Erpingham Camp is a light-hearted, frothy and satirical piece that explores the shortcomings of sexual and emotional prudery, the English obsession with class and the fact that we would rather have a cup of tea than a revolution!
Orton based his play on Euripedes' The Bacchae because "it deals with the conflict between authority and anarchy, as well as the dangers of manic indulgence and immoderation".
Harry Macdonald was ideal as the tall, megalomaniac fascist boss, Erpingham, who runs the "hyper-efficient" camp as a Dictator or Camp Commandant and who spectacularly disappears through the ballroom floor in a cloud of dust amidst the anarchy and full-scale class warfare that surrounds him.
Harry Scott took on the role of the ambitious Acting Head of Entertainment and Chief Red Coat, Riley, and Josh Allott was delightful as the unctuous and sycophantic Padre.
Lou (Flo Devereux) and Ted (Jon Rigg) are a middle-class couple vainly urging moderation rather than anarchy - Rigg spending quite a lot of time taking his trousers off and putting them on again! They are set against Kenny (Harry Colclough) and the heavily pregnant Eileen (Molly Whitehall), the working-class campers who lead the "palace revolution" against the Redcoats.
Molly Rowan Hamilton played an eye-catching and glamorous Jessie Mason while Josh Cook took on the role of Harrison, the "camp" Camp Entertainer.
Ed Garland, Silas Brown, Eugenie York and Harry Lloyd were most entertaining as Redcoats and Campers and the production was helped along by extremely proficient lighting and sound courtesy of Cecily Baer and Nuda Kyari. |