Joe Orton Statue
Help raise money to erect a statue of legendary playwright Joe Orton in his hometown of Leicester and ensure that this inspirational literary genius is remembered for generations to come.
About the Project Creator
Since 2014, Leicester has hosted a series of well-attended, high profile cultural events to mark the 50th anniversary of Joe Orton's plays. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of his death in 2017, Curve theatre produced Orton's final play, What the Butler Saw, and the University of Leicester hosted a sell-out reading of Joe Orton's 'Edna Welthorpe' letters - featuring a contribution from Emmy Award-winning actor Alec Baldwin - at The Little Theatre. BBC Radio 4 Front Row also made a 1 hour special on Joe Orton, recorded entirely in the East Midlands featurting Dr Emma Parker (University of Leicester) and Nikolai Foster (Curve).
Following these events, which demonstrate strong local, regional and inter/national interest in Orton, a group of Leicester citizens decided that Orton deserved a permanent memorial in the town of his birth.
The Joe Orton Statue Appeal is a Community Interest Company (CIC) founded by Leicester resident Kate Sullivan and chaired by Dr Emma Parker (University of Leicester, home of the Joe Orton archive). The President is Leonie Orton (Joe Orton's sister). Other members include Jon Fraser (FU Media), Tim Hogarth-Jones (The Little Theatre) and Geoff Rowe (Big Difference Company).
The group is supported by the Estate of Joe Orton, the University of Leicester and Curve.
if you have a query about the appeal, please contact Emma Parker: [email protected]