Welcome to the madhouse, as Joe Orton's legendary 1967 comedy opens at the Vaudeville Theatre this spring. Starring Omid Djalili, What the Butler Saw is an insanely funny, full-throttle tour de farce. Hysterical one liners and outrageous twists collide, as the characters loose the plot, their wits, and their clothes.
When psychoanalyst Dr Prentice, played by Tim McInnerny, instructs his new secretary (Georgia Moffett) to undress, little does he expect to be interrupted by his wife (Samantha Bond), her blackmailing lover (Nick Hendrix), a meddling government inspector (Omid Djalili) and an inquisitive policeman (Jason Thorpe). But hiding a naked woman is the least of his worries, as libidos run riot, identities are swapped and social decorum is buried. Madness and mayhem mock morality, and laughter reigns supreme. What the Butler Saw is the last and arguably the finest work of one of this nation's most celebrated playwrights. A gloriously witty and shockingly hilarious comedy, you'd be mad to miss it!
**** - “A terrific, no-holds-barred production” – Sunday Times
“A fiercely paced, roaring farce…100 laughs a minute” – The Observer
Omid Djalili – “An absolute blast” – Sunday Times
Tim McInnerny – “Tour de-force” – The Observer
Samantha Bond – “Excellent” – Time Out
Season Foley – “probably Britain’s best director of farce” – Financial Times
“Witty and shocking” – Sunday Times
“Foley has house trained What the Butler Saw so that it sits comfortable in the West End alongside younger, better-behaved farces One Man, Two Guvnors and Noises Off” – Time Out
“What a lot of laughs there are in this Joe Orton revival!” – Financial Times
“There is so much to enjoy in every line of this play” – Whats On Stage
“The spirit of Monty Python is released” – Sunday Telegraph
**** - “This revival fizzes’” – Time out