Synopsis

A 1960s British holiday camp becomes a crucible of chaos and rebellion.

At the Erpingham Holiday Camp, Chief Redcoat Riley is unexpectedly thrust into the role of entertainment organiser. His clumsy attempts at fun – including a “Tarzan” contest and a screaming competition – quickly devolve into chaos. When Riley accidentally slaps Eileen, a pregnant guest, her husband Kenny leads an uprising against the camp’s authoritarian owner, Mr. Erpingham.

Joe Orton’s satirical farce skewers British social dynamics and the veneer of civility, descending into a savage burlesque of authority, class tensions, and mob mentality. With biting dialogue and escalating absurdity, the play careens from holiday cheer to full-scale riot. Orton gleefully dismantles societal norms, using the microcosm of a holiday camp to expose the fragility of order and the latent violence beneath polite facades.