The Erpingham Camp

The Erpingham Camp (1966) is a 52-minute television play by Joe Orton, which was later performed on stage.[1][2]

Reginald Marsh as Erpingham on cover Methuen 1967 first edition, under collected title with The Ruffian on the Stair

The play was originally produced by Associated-Rediffusion for inclusion in the Seven Deadly Sins series, representing pride. Directed by James Ormerod, it was broadcast on 27 June 1966. Originally made in monochrome on videotape, it survives as a 16mm film telerecording.[3]

Orton subsequently contributed scripts for The Good and Faithful Servant and Funeral Games to the sequel Seven Deadly Virtues series - as faith and pride - but only Servant was actually included.

The Erpingham Camp was first performed on stage in June 1967, as part of a double bill with The Ruffian on the Stair titled Crimes of Passion at the Royal Court Theatre, in a production by Peter Gill.[4] It has been staged on occasion ever since.[5][6]

Plot

It is a farce in which a respectable group of English campers are innocently enjoying themselves at a 1960s holiday camp before catastrophe strikes and they find themselves fighting against the camp's demonic, rigid, moral and patronising manager, "Erpingham". The play is loosely based on The Bacchae by Euripides.[7]

Original cast

Royal Court cast

References
  1. "The Erpingham Camp (1966)".
  2. "THE ERPINGHAM CAMP with Ian McKellen". www.mckellen.com.
  3. Simon Coward, Richard Down & Christopher Perry The Kaleidoscope British Independent Television Drama Research Guide 1955–2010, Kaleidoscope Publishing, 2nd edition, 2010, page 2911, ISBN 978-1-900203-33-3)
  4. "Crimes of Passion by Joe Orton". www.petergill7.co.uk.
  5. Billington, Michael (May 14, 2009). "Theatre review: The Erpingham Camp/Kurva / Brighton festival" – via www.theguardian.com.
  6. "Theatre review: The Erpingham Camp at theSpace on Niddry St". British Theatre Guide.
  7. "Joe Orton Life and Work". www.joeorton.org.
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