Madam Arcati and I went to the private preview of the Malicious Damage exhibition at the shiny and (relatively) new Islington Museum yesterday evening, with free wine and nibbles [there are some perks to being a council employee!].
The exhibition (as I featured over at my other blog Dolores Delargo Towers Museum of Camp recently) is the first time that all the library book covers wittily defaced by Joe Orton and Kenneth Halliwell have been properly presented and put on display together, and it was fabulous to see them in the flesh, so to speak.
Of their "crime", for which the boys received six months' detention, Joe said in a 1967 interview with Eamonn Andrews:
"I have no regrets at all - I had a marvellous time in prison.
"It meant that instead of annoying a few old ladies who opened the books it now means I annoy hundreds of old ladies by writing plays."
For an invitation-only event, the gallery was remarkably packed - Islington is certainly proud of its formerly notorious son. As are his family, so it would seem - we met Joe's sister Leonie, who was there to officially open the exhibition. A lovely lady:
I can highly recommend you see this exhibition if you can!
Malicious Damage runs until 21st January 2012 at Islington Museum, Finsbury Library, 245 St John Street, London, EC1V
Sounds great - I loved Prick Up Your Ears both on film and on stage.
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It really is worth seeing - and it is very close to where you work (it's in Clerkenwell near the City University Campus). You should go... Jx
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