Kenneth Halliwell: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search
VisualWikitext
imported>Martinevans123
→Relationship with Orton: correct links, better source
 
imported>Smasongarrison
 
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|British writer and murderer (1926–1967)}}
{{Short description|British writer and murderer (1926–1967)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2025}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2012}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2012}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| name              = Kenneth Halliwell
| name              = Kenneth Halliwell
| image              = Kenneth Halliwell (1926–1967).jpg
| image              = Kenneth Halliwell (1926–1967).jpg
| imagesize          =  
| imagesize          =
| caption            = Halliwell on holiday in [[Tangier]], c. 1967
| caption            = Halliwell on holiday in [[Tangier]], c. 1967
| birth_name        = Kenneth Leith Halliwell
| birth_name        = Kenneth Leith Halliwell
Line 14: Line 14:
| domestic_partner  = [[Joe Orton]] (1951–1967)
| domestic_partner  = [[Joe Orton]] (1951–1967)
| occupation        = Actor, writer, collagist
| occupation        = Actor, writer, collagist
| years_active      =  
| years_active      =
}}
}}
'''Kenneth Leith Halliwell''' (23 June 1926 – 9 August 1967) was a British actor, writer and [[collagist]]. He was the mentor, boyfriend and murderer of playwright [[Joe Orton]].
'''Kenneth Leith Halliwell''' (23 June 1926 – 9 August 1967) was a British actor, writer and [[collagist]]. He was the mentor, boyfriend and murderer of playwright [[Joe Orton]].


== Childhood ==
== Childhood ==
Halliwell was born in [[Bebington]] near [[Liverpool]]. He was very close to his mother; when he was 11, he witnessed her death from a [[wasp]] sting at their family home.<ref name=telegraph>{{cite news|first=Troy|last=Lennon|url=https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/joe-orton-on-the-cusp-of-fame-was-bashed-into-oblivion-by-his-jealous-lover-kenneth-halliwell/news-story/3c5ac3d6839427423b0c2164fe70cbb6?nk=59d895bba846d94d9bd5cd9b19412803-1511741030|title=UK playwright Joe Orton was on the cusp of fame when he was bludgeoned to death by his jealous lover Kenneth Halliwell|work=[[The Daily Telegraph (Sydney)|Daily Telegraph]] |quote=At age 23 he found his father dead with his head in a gas oven, but he stepped over the body, put the kettle on, made a cup of tea, and had a shave before he reported the death.|date=August 7, 2017|access-date=June 30, 2018}}</ref>
Halliwell was born in [[Bebington]] on [[the Wirral]] near [[Liverpool]]. He was very close to his mother; when he was 11, he witnessed her death from a [[wasp]] sting at their family home.<ref name=telegraph>{{cite news|first=Troy|last=Lennon|url=https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/joe-orton-on-the-cusp-of-fame-was-bashed-into-oblivion-by-his-jealous-lover-kenneth-halliwell/news-story/3c5ac3d6839427423b0c2164fe70cbb6?nk=59d895bba846d94d9bd5cd9b19412803-1511741030|title=UK playwright Joe Orton was on the cusp of fame when he was bludgeoned to death by his jealous lover Kenneth Halliwell|work=[[The Daily Telegraph (Sydney)|The Daily Telegraph]] |quote=At age 23 he found his father dead with his head in a gas oven, but he stepped over the body, put the kettle on, made a cup of tea, and had a shave before he reported the death.|date=7 August 2017|access-date=30 June 2018}}</ref>


Halliwell was a [[classical literature|classics]] scholar at [[Wirral Grammar School for Boys|Wirral Grammar School]], where he gained his Higher School Certificate in 1943.<ref name=diaries>{{cite book|first1=Joe|last1=Orton|authorlink=Joe Orton|first2=John|last2=Lahr|title=The Orton Diaries|publisher=[[Da Capo Press]]|location=Boston, Massachusetts|year=1996|page=[https://archive.org/details/ortondiariesincl00orto_0/page/24 24]|isbn=0-306-80733-5|url=https://archive.org/details/ortondiariesincl00orto_0/page/24}}</ref> Eligible for military service in 1944, he registered as a [[conscientious objector]], and was exempted conditional upon becoming a [[Coal mining|coal miner]].<ref name=biography>{{cite book|first=John |last=Lahr|title=Prick Up Your Ears: The Biography of Joe Orton|publisher=[[Penguin books|Penguin]]|location=New York City|year=1980|page=109|isbn=0-14-010067-9}}</ref> After discharge in 1946, he acted for a time in [[Scotland]]<ref name=telegraph/> and then returned home to act in [[Birkenhead]]. His father committed suicide in 1949 by inhaling coal-gas in a gas oven; Halliwell was the first to find the body the following morning, but he "stepped over the body, put the kettle on, made a cup of tea and had a shave" before he reported the death.<ref name=telegraph/> Halliwell later moved to London to study drama at the [[Royal Academy of Dramatic Art]] (RADA), having inherited the family fortune.<ref name=diaries />
Halliwell was a [[classics]] scholar at [[Wirral Grammar School for Boys|Wirral Grammar School]], where he gained his Higher School Certificate in 1943.<ref name=diaries>{{cite book|first1=Joe|last1=Orton|authorlink=Joe Orton|first2=John|last2=Lahr|title=The Orton Diaries|publisher=[[Da Capo Press]]|location=Boston, Massachusetts|year=1996|page=[https://archive.org/details/ortondiariesincl00orto_0/page/24 24]|isbn=0-306-80733-5|url=https://archive.org/details/ortondiariesincl00orto_0/page/24}}</ref> Eligible for military service in 1944, he registered as a [[conscientious objector]], and was exempted conditional upon becoming a [[coal miner]].<ref name=biography>{{cite book|first=John |last=Lahr|title=Prick Up Your Ears: The Biography of Joe Orton|publisher=[[Penguin books|Penguin]]|location=New York City|year=1980|page=109|isbn=0-14-010067-9}}</ref> After discharge in 1946, he acted for a time in [[Scotland]]<ref name=telegraph/> and then returned home to act in [[Birkenhead]]. His father committed suicide in 1949 by inhaling coal-gas in a gas oven; Halliwell was the first to find the body the following morning, but he "stepped over the body, put the kettle on, made a cup of tea and had a shave" before he reported the death.<ref name=telegraph/> Halliwell later moved to London to study drama at the [[Royal Academy of Dramatic Art]] (RADA), having inherited the family fortune.<ref name=diaries />


== Relationship with Orton ==
== Relationship with Orton ==
In 1951, Halliwell met fellow RADA student [[Joe Orton]].<ref>{{cite book|first=Sheridan |last=Morley|title=Theatre's Strangest Acts: Extraordinary But True Tales from the History of Theatre|url=https://archive.org/details/theatresstranges0000morl |url-access=registration |publisher=Robson Publishing|location=Sun Lakes, Arizona|year=2006|page=[https://archive.org/details/theatresstranges0000morl/page/133 133]|isbn=1-86105-674-5}}</ref> Both men were struggling actors who became struggling writers; their common interests led to a lengthy romantic relationship. Halliwell, in the early years, seems to have been something of a mentor to Orton, who had had a rather cursory education, and helped to mould the writing style that would later be called "Ortonesque".<ref>{{cite book|first1=Joe|last1=Orton|authorlink=Joe Orton|first2=John|last2=Lahr|title=The Complete Plays: The Ruffian on the Stair, Entertaining Mr. Sloan, the Good and Faithful Servant, Loot, the Erpingham Camp, Funeral Games, What the Butler Saw|publisher=Grove Press|location=New York City|year=1990|pages=[https://archive.org/details/completeplays00orto_0/page/13 13-14]|isbn=0-8021-3215-4|url=https://archive.org/details/completeplays00orto_0/page/13}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|first=Simon|last=Shepard|title=Because We're Queers: The Life and Crimes of Kenneth Halliwell and Joe Orton|publisher=[[Gay Men's Press]]|location=London, England|year=1989|page=88|isbn=0-85449-090-6}}</ref> The two men collaborated on several novels, including ''The Boy Hairdresser'', which were not published until after their deaths.<ref>{{cite book|first=Gabriele |last=Griffin|title=Who's who in Lesbian and Gay Writing|url=https://archive.org/details/whoswhoinlesbian0000grif |url-access=registration |publisher=[[Routledge]]|location=Abingdon, England|year=2002|page=[https://archive.org/details/whoswhoinlesbian0000grif/page/149 149]|isbn=0-415-15984-9}}</ref>
In 1951, Halliwell met fellow RADA student [[Joe Orton]].<ref>{{cite book|first=Sheridan |last=Morley|title=Theatre's Strangest Acts: Extraordinary But True Tales from the History of Theatre|url=https://archive.org/details/theatresstranges0000morl |url-access=registration |publisher=Robson Publishing|location=Sun Lakes, Arizona|year=2006|page=[https://archive.org/details/theatresstranges0000morl/page/133 133]|isbn=1-86105-674-5}}</ref> Both men were struggling actors who became struggling writers; their common interests led to a lengthy romantic relationship. Halliwell, in the early years, seems to have been something of a mentor to Orton, who had had a rather cursory education, and helped to mould the writing style that would later be called "Ortonesque".<ref>{{cite book|first1=Joe|last1=Orton|authorlink=Joe Orton|first2=John|last2=Lahr|title=The Complete Plays: The Ruffian on the Stair, Entertaining Mr. Sloan, the Good and Faithful Servant, Loot, the Erpingham Camp, Funeral Games, What the Butler Saw|publisher=Grove Press|location=New York City|year=1990|pages=[https://archive.org/details/completeplays00orto_0/page/13 13-14]|isbn=0-8021-3215-4|url=https://archive.org/details/completeplays00orto_0/page/13}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|first=Simon|last=Shepard|title=Because We're Queers: The Life and Crimes of Kenneth Halliwell and Joe Orton|publisher=[[Gay Men's Press]]|location=London, England|year=1989|page=88|isbn=0-85449-090-6}}</ref> The two men collaborated on several novels, including ''The Boy Hairdresser'', which were not published until after their deaths.<ref>{{cite book|first=Gabriele |last=Griffin|title=Who's who in Lesbian and Gay Writing|url=https://archive.org/details/whoswhoinlesbian0000grif |url-access=registration |publisher=[[Routledge]]|location=Abingdon, England|year=2002|page=[https://archive.org/details/whoswhoinlesbian0000grif/page/149 149]|isbn=0-415-15984-9}}</ref>


From January 1959, Orton and Halliwell were involved in the theft and defacement of [[public library]] books. Halliwell became an illicit collage artist, while Orton wrote the fake blurbs for the flyleaf of the dust jackets.<ref>{{cite news|first=Philip|last=Hoare|url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2013/sep/30/halliwell-orton-art-collage-library-books|title=Kenneth Halliwell: lover, killer... artist?|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|location=Oxfordshire, England|date=30 September 2013|access-date=30 June 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|first=Ilsa|last=Colsell|title=Malicious Damage: the Defaced Library Books of Kenneth Halliwell and Joe Orton|publisher=Donlon Books|location=London, England|date=2013|isbn=978-0957609501}}</ref> After their trial in 1962 the two men were given custodial sentences: Halliwell was sent to [[HM Prison Ford]] at [[Arundel]] in [[Sussex]] for six months and Orton went to [[HM Prison Elmley|HM Prison Eastchurch]] at Sheerness in [[Kent]].<ref>{{cite book|first=John |last=Lahr|title=Prick Up Your Ears: The Biography of Joe Orton|publisher=[[Penguin books|Penguin]]|location=New York City|year=1980|page=85|isbn=0-14-010067-9}}</ref>
From January 1959, Orton and Halliwell were involved in the theft and defacement of [[Islington Libraries|Islington public library]] books. Halliwell became an illicit collage artist, while Orton wrote the fake blurbs for the flyleaf of the dust jackets.<ref>{{cite news|first=Philip|last=Hoare|url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2013/sep/30/halliwell-orton-art-collage-library-books|title=Kenneth Halliwell: lover, killer... artist?|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|location=Oxfordshire, England|date=30 September 2013|access-date=30 June 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|first=Ilsa|last=Colsell|title=Malicious Damage: the Defaced Library Books of Kenneth Halliwell and Joe Orton|publisher=Donlon Books|location=London, England|date=2013|isbn=978-0957609501}}</ref> After their trial in 1962 the two men were given custodial sentences: Halliwell was sent to [[HM Prison Ford]] at [[Arundel]] in Sussex for six months and Orton went to [[HM Prison Elmley|HM Prison Eastchurch]] at Sheerness in [[Kent]].<ref>{{cite book|first=John |last=Lahr|title=Prick Up Your Ears: The Biography of Joe Orton|publisher=[[Penguin books|Penguin]]|location=New York City|year=1980|page=85|isbn=0-14-010067-9}}</ref>


Orton's eventual success as a writer, which began not long after their release from prison, put a distance between the two men that Halliwell found difficult to handle.<ref>{{cite book|first=Steven H.|last=Gale|title=Encyclopedia of British Humorists: Geoffrey Chaucer to John Cleese|publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]]|location=Oxfordshire, England|year=1996|page=803|isbn=0-8240-5990-5}}</ref> Towards the end of his life, Halliwell was on regular courses of [[Antidepressant|anti-depressants]].<ref name=biography/>
Orton's eventual success as a writer, which began not long after their release from prison, put a distance between the two men that Halliwell found difficult to handle.<ref>{{cite book|first=Steven H.|last=Gale|title=Encyclopedia of British Humorists: Geoffrey Chaucer to John Cleese|publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]]|location=Oxfordshire, England|year=1996|page=803|isbn=0-8240-5990-5}}</ref> Towards the end of his life, Halliwell was on regular courses of [[anti-depressants]].<ref name=biography/>


== Murder–suicide ==
== Murder–suicide ==
On 9 August 1967, Halliwell mortally injured Orton with nine hammer blows to the head, then overdosed on [[pentobarbital]] (Nembutal) [[Hypnotic|sleeping pills]]. Halliwell died first.<ref>{{cite book|last=Orton|first=Joe|author2=Lahr, John|title=The Orton Diaries|publisher=Da Capo Press|year=1996|page=[https://archive.org/details/ortondiariesincl00orto_0/page/266 266]|isbn=0-306-80733-5|url=https://archive.org/details/ortondiariesincl00orto_0/page/266}}</ref>  Their bodies were discovered late the following morning, when a chauffeur arrived at the door of their [[Noel Road]] flat in [[Islington]] to collect Orton for a meeting with director [[Richard Lester]] to discuss filming options on ''[[Up Against It]]'', an unproduced script by Orton, written in 1967 for [[the Beatles]].
On 9 August 1967, Halliwell mortally injured Orton with nine hammer blows to the head, then overdosed on [[pentobarbital]] (Nembutal) [[sleeping pills]]. Halliwell died first.<ref>{{cite book|last=Orton|first=Joe|author2=Lahr, John|title=The Orton Diaries|publisher=Da Capo Press|year=1996|page=[https://archive.org/details/ortondiariesincl00orto_0/page/266 266]|isbn=0-306-80733-5|url=https://archive.org/details/ortondiariesincl00orto_0/page/266}}</ref>  Their bodies were discovered late the following morning, when a chauffeur arrived at the door of their [[Noel Road]] flat in [[Islington]] to collect Orton for a meeting with director [[Richard Lester]] to discuss filming options on ''[[Up Against It]]'', an unproduced script by Orton, written in 1967 for [[the Beatles]].


Halliwell's [[suicide note]] referred to the contents of Orton's diary as an explanation for his actions:
Halliwell's [[suicide note]] referred to the contents of Orton's diary as an explanation for his actions:
Line 45: Line 44:
In ''[[Prick Up Your Ears]]'', the 1987 film based on Orton's life, Halliwell was portrayed by [[Alfred Molina]].
In ''[[Prick Up Your Ears]]'', the 1987 film based on Orton's life, Halliwell was portrayed by [[Alfred Molina]].


In ''[[Kenneth Williams: Fantabulosa!|Fantabulosa!]]'', the 2006 television play about [[Kenneth Williams]], he was portrayed by Ewan Bailey.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0074s9v|title = BBC Four - Kenneth Williams: Fantabulosa!}}</ref>
In ''[[Fantabulosa!]]'', the 2006 television play about [[Kenneth Williams]], he was portrayed by Ewan Bailey.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0074s9v|title = BBC Four - Kenneth Williams: Fantabulosa!}}</ref>


British experimental music group [[Coil (band)|Coil]] recorded three tracks titled "The Halliwell Hammers" for their 1995 album ''[[Worship the Glitch]]''. The two primary members of Coil, [[John Balance]] and [[Peter Christopherson]], were romantic partners through most of the band's existence, and much of their work was inspired by or dedicated to gay icons and personalities of the past.{{cn|date=March 2024}}
British experimental music group [[Coil (band)|Coil]] recorded three tracks titled "The Halliwell Hammers" for their 1995 album ''[[Worship the Glitch]]''. The two primary members of Coil, [[John Balance]] and [[Peter Christopherson]], were romantic partners through most of the band's existence, and much of their work was inspired by or dedicated to gay icons and personalities of the past.{{cn|date=March 2024}}
Line 51: Line 50:
Halliwell is the subject of a monologue, ''Especially The Latter Part'', by Richard Ely. It premiered in Lichfield, in 2009.{{cn|date=March 2024}}
Halliwell is the subject of a monologue, ''Especially The Latter Part'', by Richard Ely. It premiered in Lichfield, in 2009.{{cn|date=March 2024}}


The [[Prick Up Your Ears (play)|stage version of ''Prick Up Your Ears'']], written by [[Simon Bent]], opened on the West End in London at the Comedy Theatre on 17 September 2009. [[Matt Lucas (comedian)|Matt Lucas]] played Halliwell and [[Chris New]] played Orton. [[Con O'Neill (actor)|Con O'Neill]] took over the role of Halliwell after Lucas pulled out. The play closed on 15 November 2009.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8341696.stm|title=Lucas West End play closes early|work=[[BBC News]]|publisher=[[BBC]]|location=London, England|date=4 November 2009|access-date=30 June 2018}}</ref>
The [[Prick Up Your Ears (play)|stage version of ''Prick Up Your Ears'']], written by [[Simon Bent]], opened on the West End in London at the Comedy Theatre on 17 September 2009. [[Matt Lucas]] played Halliwell and [[Chris New]] played Orton. [[Con O'Neill (actor)|Con O'Neill]] took over the role of Halliwell after Lucas pulled out. The play closed on 15 November 2009.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8341696.stm|title=Lucas West End play closes early|work=[[BBC News]]|publisher=[[BBC]]|location=London, England|date=4 November 2009|access-date=30 June 2018}}</ref>


In 2014, a collage by Halliwell was purchased by [[Islington Museum]] at auction for £2,800.<ref>{{cite news|first=Chelsea|last=Moore|url=http://www.islingtongazette.co.uk/news/collage-by-joe-orton-s-killer-kenneth-halliwell-goes-on-display-in-islington-1-3321900|title=Collage by Joe Orton's killer Kenneth Halliwell goes on display in Islington|newspaper=[[Islington Gazette]]|publisher=[[Archant Limited]]|location=London, England|date=15 February 2014|access-date=16 October 2017|archive-date=16 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171016203546/http://www.islingtongazette.co.uk/news/collage-by-joe-orton-s-killer-kenneth-halliwell-goes-on-display-in-islington-1-3321900|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2016 the same museum purchased at auction ''The Cat Screen'', a four-panel described as "an important part of 1960s cultural history as well as an engaging piece of art work", for £8,000.<ref>{{cite web|first=Laura|last=Chesters|url=https://www.antiquestradegazette.com/news/2016/islington-museum-buys-collage-by-joe-ortons-lover-at-auction/|title=Islington Museum buys collage by Joe Orton's lover at auction|work=[[Antiques Trade Gazette]]|publisher=Auction Technology Group|location=London, England|date=23 September 2016|access-date=16 October 2017}}</ref>
In 2014, a collage by Halliwell was purchased by [[Islington Museum]] at auction for £2,800.<ref>{{cite news|first=Chelsea|last=Moore|url=http://www.islingtongazette.co.uk/news/collage-by-joe-orton-s-killer-kenneth-halliwell-goes-on-display-in-islington-1-3321900|title=Collage by Joe Orton's killer Kenneth Halliwell goes on display in Islington|newspaper=[[Islington Gazette]]|publisher=[[Archant Limited]]|location=London, England|date=15 February 2014|access-date=16 October 2017|archive-date=16 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171016203546/http://www.islingtongazette.co.uk/news/collage-by-joe-orton-s-killer-kenneth-halliwell-goes-on-display-in-islington-1-3321900|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2016 the same museum purchased at auction ''The Cat Screen'', a four-panel described as "an important part of 1960s cultural history as well as an engaging piece of art work", for £8,000.<ref>{{cite web|first=Laura|last=Chesters|url=https://www.antiquestradegazette.com/news/2016/islington-museum-buys-collage-by-joe-ortons-lover-at-auction/|title=Islington Museum buys collage by Joe Orton's lover at auction|work=[[Antiques Trade Gazette]]|publisher=Auction Technology Group|location=London, England|date=23 September 2016|access-date=16 October 2017}}</ref>
Line 79: Line 78:
[[Category:British collage artists]]
[[Category:British collage artists]]
[[Category:Drug-related suicides in England]]
[[Category:Drug-related suicides in England]]
[[Category:English conscientious objectors]]
[[Category:British conscientious objectors]]
[[Category:English gay actors]]
[[Category:English gay actors]]
[[Category:English gay writers]]
[[Category:English gay writers]]

Latest revision as of 03:27, 19 November 2025

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Script error: No such module "infobox".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Script error: No such module "Check for clobbered parameters".Template:Wikidata image Kenneth Leith Halliwell (23 June 1926 – 9 August 1967) was a British actor, writer and collagist. He was the mentor, boyfriend and murderer of playwright Joe Orton.

Childhood

Halliwell was born in Bebington on the Wirral near Liverpool. He was very close to his mother; when he was 11, he witnessed her death from a wasp sting at their family home.[1]

Halliwell was a classics scholar at Wirral Grammar School, where he gained his Higher School Certificate in 1943.[2] Eligible for military service in 1944, he registered as a conscientious objector, and was exempted conditional upon becoming a coal miner.[3] After discharge in 1946, he acted for a time in Scotland[1] and then returned home to act in Birkenhead. His father committed suicide in 1949 by inhaling coal-gas in a gas oven; Halliwell was the first to find the body the following morning, but he "stepped over the body, put the kettle on, made a cup of tea and had a shave" before he reported the death.[1] Halliwell later moved to London to study drama at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), having inherited the family fortune.[2]

Relationship with Orton

In 1951, Halliwell met fellow RADA student Joe Orton.[4] Both men were struggling actors who became struggling writers; their common interests led to a lengthy romantic relationship. Halliwell, in the early years, seems to have been something of a mentor to Orton, who had had a rather cursory education, and helped to mould the writing style that would later be called "Ortonesque".[5][6] The two men collaborated on several novels, including The Boy Hairdresser, which were not published until after their deaths.[7]

From January 1959, Orton and Halliwell were involved in the theft and defacement of Islington public library books. Halliwell became an illicit collage artist, while Orton wrote the fake blurbs for the flyleaf of the dust jackets.[8][9] After their trial in 1962 the two men were given custodial sentences: Halliwell was sent to HM Prison Ford at Arundel in Sussex for six months and Orton went to HM Prison Eastchurch at Sheerness in Kent.[10]

Orton's eventual success as a writer, which began not long after their release from prison, put a distance between the two men that Halliwell found difficult to handle.[11] Towards the end of his life, Halliwell was on regular courses of anti-depressants.[3]

Murder–suicide

On 9 August 1967, Halliwell mortally injured Orton with nine hammer blows to the head, then overdosed on pentobarbital (Nembutal) sleeping pills. Halliwell died first.[12] Their bodies were discovered late the following morning, when a chauffeur arrived at the door of their Noel Road flat in Islington to collect Orton for a meeting with director Richard Lester to discuss filming options on Up Against It, an unproduced script by Orton, written in 1967 for the Beatles.

Halliwell's suicide note referred to the contents of Orton's diary as an explanation for his actions:

If you read his diary, all will be explained. KH PS: Especially the latter part.[13]

This is presumed to be a reference to Orton's description of his promiscuity; the diary contains numerous incidents of cottaging in public lavatories and other casual sexual encounters.

In popular culture

In Prick Up Your Ears, the 1987 film based on Orton's life, Halliwell was portrayed by Alfred Molina.

In Fantabulosa!, the 2006 television play about Kenneth Williams, he was portrayed by Ewan Bailey.[14]

British experimental music group Coil recorded three tracks titled "The Halliwell Hammers" for their 1995 album Worship the Glitch. The two primary members of Coil, John Balance and Peter Christopherson, were romantic partners through most of the band's existence, and much of their work was inspired by or dedicated to gay icons and personalities of the past.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

Halliwell is the subject of a monologue, Especially The Latter Part, by Richard Ely. It premiered in Lichfield, in 2009.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

The stage version of Prick Up Your Ears, written by Simon Bent, opened on the West End in London at the Comedy Theatre on 17 September 2009. Matt Lucas played Halliwell and Chris New played Orton. Con O'Neill took over the role of Halliwell after Lucas pulled out. The play closed on 15 November 2009.[15]

In 2014, a collage by Halliwell was purchased by Islington Museum at auction for £2,800.[16] In 2016 the same museum purchased at auction The Cat Screen, a four-panel described as "an important part of 1960s cultural history as well as an engaging piece of art work", for £8,000.[17]

Orton and Halliwell's relationship and murder–suicide is the subject of Law 46 of Robert Greene's bestselling book The 48 Laws of Power,[18] "Never Appear Too Perfect".

Works

  • The Protagonist (circa 1949), unproduced and unpublished play about Edmund Kean.
  • The Silver Bucket (1953), The Mechanical Womb (1955), The Last Days of Sodom (1955), novels co-written with Orton, all unpublished and now lost.
  • Priapus in the Shrubbery (1959), solo novel, unpublished and now lost.
  • Lord Cucumber and The Boy Hairdresser, novels co-written with Orton, published in 2001.

References

<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />

  1. ↑ a b c Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  2. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  3. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  4. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  5. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  6. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  7. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  11. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  12. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  13. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  14. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  15. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  16. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  17. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  18. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

Template:Authority control

Retrieved from "http://debianws.lexgopc.com/wiki143/index.php?title=Kenneth_Halliwell&oldid=5275504"