Harrogate Dramatic Society prepares to stage its first play in two years - Loot is on at Harrogate Theatre Studio

Due to the pandemic, the production will be the company’s first at the venue in more than two years.

Loot sees two of the society’s newest members making their Harrogate Dramatic Society debuts.

Az Phillips and musician and actor Freddie Cleary play childhood friends and rookie bank robbers Dennis and Hal.

Loot was as controversial as it was viciously funny when it was first performed back in 1965.

Orton’s satire of the Church, the police, and the rituals of mourning still strikes a nerve and raises a laugh today.

Freddie said: “I’ve been focused on my acting and my performance. I’m not worrying about how the audience might react to some of the things in the play”, he said.

“It’s given me an idea of what society was like in the 1960s and how differently people thought.”

Loot will see Freddie sharing the stage with several long-serving HDS members, including Michael Garside appearing as Inspector Truscott, a police detective of questionable morals, and

Chris Rawson appearing as Mr McLeavy, Hal’s recently widowed father.

“It’s been fun. The cast are amazing, and I’ve felt comfortable around them. I’ve been able to be myself, and I’m loving performing with them”, he said.

During the rehearsal process of Loot, Freddie also released his debut original song Mercy on Spotify.

“Mercy is a song about a toxic relationship. I wrote the lyrics myself and then I went to Homefire Studios to record it. John and George at the studio were really nice to work with,” Freddie said.

The Harrogate Dramatic Society’s production of Loot by Joe Orton is directed by Dane Wright and is on in the Harrogate Theatre Studio from Tuesday, February 9 to Saturday, February 12, daily at 7.45pm with a Saturday matinee at 2pm.

Tickets on 01423 502116.