The World of Paul Slickey

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The World of Paul Slickey: A West End Theatrical Misadventure

"The World of Paul Slickey" premiered at London’s Palace Theatre in the West End on May 5, 1959, following a preview run in Bournemouth on April 14. Written and directed by John Osborne, with music by Christopher Whelen, this musical satire ran for a mere 47 performances, closing on June 13, 1959. Produced by Donald Albery, it aimed to skewer high-society gossip columnists but became one of the most notorious flops in English theatre history. After Osborne’s triumphs with "Look Back in Anger" and "The Entertainer," this cartoonish critique featuring choreography by Kenneth MacMillan and sets by Hugh Casson stumbled amid audience boos and critical scorn, marking a spectacular fall from grace.

A Gossip Columnist’s Tangled Web

The plot centers on Jack Oakham, a journalist moonlighting as gossip columnist Paul Slickey, a pseudonym inspired by The Express’s William Hickey. Jack skewers the elite, including the troubled couple Lesley and Michael, who contemplate sex changes to fix their marriage, and the archaic Lord and Lady Mortlake. He also tracks the Giltedge-Whytes and pop star Terry Maroon. As Jack delves into their vacuous lives, his own marriage frays under the strain of his work. The narrative, a “comedy of manners,” spirals into absurdity, culminating in a chaotic reflection on fame’s hollow allure a satire that misfired, alienating its audience with its abrasive tone.

A Score Lost to the Fiasco

Christopher Whelen’s music, paired with Osborne’s lyrics, aimed for a brash, satirical edge with numbers like “Don’t Think You Can Fool a Guy Like Me,” “Bring Back the Axe,” and “The Mechanics of Success.” Performed by a dance ensemble and cast, the score leaned into cartoonish excess, mirroring the play’s over-the-top characters. Conducted by Whelen, it lacked the polish of mainstream musicals, and no commercial recording survives only a rare 1959 rehearsal tape hints at its sound. Critics dismissed it as disjointed, and its failure to resonate musically amplified the production’s collapse, leaving the songs as forgotten as the show itself.

A Cast Caught in the Crossfire

The original cast featured Robert Stephens as Jack Oakham, Dennis Price as Lord Mortlake, and Adrienne Corri as Lesley, who famously cursed the booing audience with V-signs on opening night. Phyllis Calvert played Deirdre, with Neville Crabbe as Terry Maroon and Bessie Love as Mrs. Giltedge-Whyte. Osborne’s chaotic direction his first and last left the actors exposed, despite MacMillan’s choreography and Casson’s sleek sets. The ensemble’s talent couldn’t salvage the muddled vision, and the first-night crowd, including John Gielgud and Noël Coward, unleashed a fury that chased Osborne up Charing Cross Road, a debacle etched in theatrical lore.

A Legacy of Infamy

Born from an unproduced draft, "An Artificial Comedy," "The World of Paul Slickey" aimed to provoke but imploded under its own ambition. Its 47-performance run after stops in Bournemouth and Leeds stands as Osborne’s commercial nadir, a stark contrast to his earlier West End glory. Critics called it “spit and vomit thrown into the audience’s teeth,” and its artistic intent drowned in the uproar. No revivals followed, though its failure fascinates theatre historians. As of March 2025, it remains a cautionary tale of satire gone awry, a West End disaster that turned Osborne’s musical experiment into a legendary footnote.