Joe Orton Quotes

• The kind of people who always go on about whether a thing is in good taste invariably have very bad taste.

  Joe Orton

  People, Goes On, Taste

  52 Copy quote

• I'm too amused by the way people carry on to give in to despair.

  Joe Orton

  People, Giving, Despair

  26 Copy quote

• With madness, as with vomit, it's the passerby who receives the inconvenience.

  Joe Orton

  Madness, Inconvenience, Passerby

  Joe Orton (2013). “Entertaining Mr Sloane”, p.9, A&C Black

  53 Copy quote

• Cleanse my heart... Give me the ability to rage correctly

  Joe Orton

  Heart, Giving, Rage

  Joe Orton (2014). “Orton Complete Plays: Entertaining Mr Sloane; Loot; What the Butler; Ruffian; Erpingham Camp; Funeral Games; Good & ...”, p.14, A&C Black

  15 Copy quote

• Policemen, like red squirrels, must be protected.

  Joe Orton

  Squirrels, Red, Policemen

  'Loot' (1967) act 1

  17 Copy quote

• People think I write fantasy, but I don't; some things may be exaggerated or distorted in the same way that painters distort and alter things, but they're realistic figures. They're perfectly recognisable.

  Joe Orton

  Writing, Thinking, People

  "The Complete Plays".

  17 Copy quote

• The Oscar Wilde of Welfare State gentility.

  Joe Orton

  Oscars, Welfare, Wilde

  Joe Orton (1998). “The Visitors: Fred and Madge : Two Plays”, p.13, Grove Press

  20 Copy quote

• Every luxury was lavished on you - atheism, breastfeeding, circumcision.

  Joe Orton

  Children, Luxury, Atheism

  'Loot' (1967) act 1

  19 Copy quote
• 

  I'd the upbringing a nun would envy. Until I was fifteen I was more familiar with Africa than my own body.

  Joe Orton

  Envy, Body, Fifteen

  Entertaining Mr. Sloane act 1 (1964)

  28 Copy quote

• Civilizations have been founded and maintained on theories which refused to obey facts.

  Joe Orton

  Civilization, Facts, Theory

  Joe Orton (2013). “What The Butler Saw”, p.27, A&C Black

  18 Copy quote

• FAY: The British police force used to be run by men of integrity. TRUSCOTT: That is a mistake which has been rectified.

  Joe Orton

  Running, Integrity, Mistake

  Joe Orton (2014). “Orton Complete Plays: Entertaining Mr Sloane; Loot; What the Butler; Ruffian; Erpingham Camp; Funeral Games; Good & ...”, p.255, A&C Black

  16 Copy quote

• It's all any reasonable child can expect if the dad is present at the conception.

  Joe Orton

  Children, Dad, Reasonable

  'Entertaining Mr Sloane' (1964) act 3

  15 Copy quote

• God is a gentleman.
  He prefers blondes

  Joe Orton

  Gentleman, Blonde

  Joe Orton (2014). “Loot”, p.97, A&C Black

  20 Copy quote

• On our way home we were waiting for the bus when a very fat, pompous-looking woman reeled out of a pub shouting, "Melancholia? Ad nauseam."

  Joe Orton

  Home, Waiting, Way

  "The Orton Diaries". Edited by John Lahr, p. 137, 1986.

  13 Copy quote

• You were born with your legs apart. They'll send you to the grave in a Y-shaped coffin.

  Joe Orton

  Sarcastic, Coffins, Legs

  What the Butler Saw (1969) act 1

  16 Copy quote

• The humble and meek are thirsting for lood

  Joe Orton

  Humble, Meek

  16 Copy quote

• Reading isn't an occupation we encourage among police officers. We try to keep the paperwork down to a minimum.

  Joe Orton

  Work, Reading, Police

  Loot (1967) act 2

  15 Copy quote

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