Taylor Will Join Lucas and New in West End Production of Bent's Prick Up Your Ears

By Mark Shenton
July 10, 2009

Final casting has been announced for Prick Up Your Ears, a new play by Simon Bent inspired by the biography of the late playwright Joe Orton and his diaries.

Gwen Taylor will join the previously announced Matt Lucas and Chris New in the production, which begins performances Sept. 17 (prior to an official opening Sept. 30) at the West End's Comedy Theatre. It is booking to run there through Dec. 6. Prior to the West End, Prick Up Your Ears will tour to Richmond Theatre (Aug. 26-29), Salford's The Lowry (Aug. 31-Sept. 5) and Bath's Theatre Royal (Sept. 7-12).

Set in 1962, the play revolves around Halliwell (Lucas) and Orton (New) at a time when the two — both RADA graduates, aspiring playwrights and sometime lovers — plot their rightful place at the centre of London's literary scene whilst engaged in a secret crusade to "improve" the local library books, all in the worst possible taste of course, and acting out their own versions of popular radio dramas, with an extra dash of innuendo. But after a short interlude at Her Majesty's pleasure, Orton is about to become the greatest, and most notorious comic playwright since Oscar Wilde, whilst Halliwell stays indoors re-decorating, reduced to sharing Joe's success with their neighbour, Mrs. Corden (Taylor), over tea and a slice of battenberg cake.

Taylor can currently be seen as Peg in ITV's "Heartbeat." Other leading TV roles include appearances in "Barbara," "A Bit of a Do," "Conjugal Rites," "Duty Free, "Class Act” and "Belonging," plus guest appearances in "Doc Martin," "Midsomer Murdres” and "Fat Friends." Onstage she has been seen in the West End in Time of My Life and as Gertrude in Peter Hall's production of Hamlet at the Gielgud, at the Royal Court in Clouds, Ripen Our Darkness and Top Girls, plus national tours of Shirley Valentine, About Alice, Arms and the Man, Moment of Weakness and Picasso's Women.

To book tickets, contact the box office at 0870 060 6637 or visit www.prickupyourearstheplay.com for more details.