If you've seen our current production of What the Butler Saw, I'm sure you quickly realized that there is no actual butler in Butler. So why the title?
"What the butler saw" refers to a type of peep-show that was common in Britain in the early part of the 20th Century. Essentially, it's early pornography. The viewer looked through a small peephole (or perhaps a keyhole) at a series of photos of a woman undressing - as if he were a butler spying on his mistress.
Here's a photo of an actual "what the butler saw" machine, from Wikipedia (photo by Linda Spashett). If you'd like to see the photos inside, you can do your own Google search!Joe Orton chose the title deliberately, knowing that it would immediately remind his audience of the voyeuristic peep-show.
Or, as the really excellent website joeorton.org says: "What the Butler Saw appalled and enraged certain audiences with its blatant sexual overtones, attacks on authority and conventional morality via its invitation to view other people’s sexuality and sexual identity from the position of voyeur."
One audience member hit the nail on the head when she told me after the show, "So there is a butler in What the Butler Saw. It's us."
After living with months of frustration and bedlam I decided I needed a well earned rest, so I went to see "What The Butler Saw." I laughed so long and loud that when it finished I was tired out - as tired as the cast must have been after such a strenuous performance. Go see it. You'll laugh your head off.
ReplyDeleteThelma Cousins