As Robert Brustein points out in The Theatre of Revolt , attacking the bourgeoisie drove many modern playwrights. The method of Orton's assault, however, was revolutionary. Orton anchored black comedy in banal realism. The false teeth, in all his plays, are real. This paradox gives his farce a bite.
Loot takes place behind a looking glass that turns values, institutions, and beliefs inside out.
The tricksters win, and the only law-abiding citizen in the play, Mr. McLeavy, goes to prison. She was a great believer in some of them. Scenes from the 1966 West End production of Loot . It's not glitter. Congreve is the same.