Playwright. Born Leicester. Came to London in 1951 as a student at RADA, where he met fellow student Kenneth Halliwell. Works include Entertaining Mr Sloane and Loot, in which he wrote the part of Inspector Truscott for his close friend Kenneth Williams. In 1962 Orton and his partner, Halliwell, were prosecuted for stealing and defacing books from the Islington Public Library. Jealous of his sexual adventures, Halliwell murdered Orton with a hammer and then committed suicide with sleeping pills, at 25 Noel Road.
Other Subjects
Joseph Grimaldi
Pantomime clown appearing at Sadler's Wells, Drury Lane and Covent Garden theatres. The traditional clowns' make-up, being called Joey and many of the gags and tricks date back to Grimaldi. Born i...
Tricycle Theatre / Kiln Theatre
Originally opened as a home for the Wakefield Tricycle Company which started in a room behind the Pindar of Wakefield pub in King's Cross. Inside the foyer of the Tricycle Theatre/Cinema is a plaq...
Dame Gracie Fields
Entertainer. Born over a chip shop in Rochdale, Lancashire as Grace Stansfield. Worked at Gainsborough Film Studios. Gracie and her husband Archie moved from Upper Street, N1 in 1929 to The Towers...
Sheila Hancock
Actor, often in comedy roles. Born in Blackgang, Isle of Wight, she was the younger daughter of Enrico Cameron Hancock (1893-1970) and Ivy Louise Hancock née Woodward (1898-1970).Her father was a p...