Director Stephen Frears on bio-pic, Prick Up Your Ears, starring a young Gary Oldman

Director Stephen Frears provocative 1987 bio-pic, Prick Up Your Ears, about the life and death of gay playwright Joe Orton, (see below for some of his titles) was one of the most controversial movies of the 1980’s.
The screenplay was written by Alan Bennett, based on the 1978 biography by John Lahr. The film stars Gary Oldman as Orton, Alfred Molina as his lover Halliwell, Wallace Shawn as Lahr, and Vanessa Redgrave as Peggy Ramsay.
It's a youthful Gary Oldman, best known presently for his brilliant role as the discarded, grubby old spy in the streaming series Slow Horses, and who two years prior to Prick Up Your Ears gained international film notoriety for playing punk rocker Sid Vicious in the film Sid and Nancy.
Clearly unafraid of controversy, Gary accepted Stephen Frears challenge to play Orton who, tragically, was savagely murdered by his lover in a fit of passionate rage.
The movie, not surprisingly, drew mixed reviews and heavy criticism, particularly from sections of the British public, enraged that such a “vile story” should be brought to the silver screen.
Over the decades Stephen’s cinema career went on to include a diverse array of subjects and genres.
They have included My Beautiful Laundrette, Dangerous Liaisons, The Grifters, Philomena and Accidental Hero.
Back in 87, shortly after Prick Up Your Ears had been released, I had the chance to sit down, with a small group of journalists, and talk to Stephen about the film and his approach to the story.
Stephen is now 84 and still working.
His latest project is a film about director Billy Wilder titled Wilder & Me.[22] An adaptation by Christopher Hampton of the novel Mr Wilder and Me (2020). It stars Christoph Waltz as Wilder and Jon Hamm as William Holden.

Joe Orton's works, which have been performed around the world, included the following plays:
Entertaining Mr Sloane (first performance 1964)
Loot (first performance 1965)
The Erpingham Camp (first performance 1966)
The Good and Faithful Servant (first performance 1967)
Funeral Games (first performance 1968)
What the Butler Saw (first performance 1969)

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