Review: Loot **

Programming a theatre season must be a very tricky task.

Finding the right balance of classics, new writing, shows that will pack them in and the shows the critics will appreciate – not an easy job.

Unfortunately, with Loot, Hull Truck has hit a speed bump in an otherwise smooth journey of a season.

Joe Orton's play caused controversy when it first appeared in 1966.

Dealing with death – there is a coffin on stage – and satirising the law, abusing corpses and uses of the word, shock horror, "brothel", caused audiences to walk out of performances.

Since then, we have had baby eating and male rape, courtesy of Sarah Kane, eye gouging from Edward Bond, a wizard getting his wand out, and even Hull's own Richard Bean found high comedy in a play in which a man hangs himself at an east Hull farm.

So the power to shock, which would appear to be one of the major reasons for the success of Orton's play, is removed. It does not stand up well without it against the passage of time.

Director Gareth Tudor Price, a man with an impressive eye for staging comedy, roots around and comes up with little.

Hal and Dennis are conspiring to hide money they have stolen. Hal's mother has died – it is her coffin and her corpse that drew gasps four decades ago – and they decide to hide the money in her casket. Hilarity, supposedly, ensues.

Chris Connell returns to Hull after a break of a couple of years and as Inspector Truscott he is wonderful to see. He really does have a great comedic stage presence.

Karl Dobby, as Dennis, is a likeable presence on stage, but Tom Hudson, as Hal, had me squirming in my seat. His performance appeared to be over-exaggerated.

It can't be easy to programme a season, and with other palpable hits, this is a rare moment of dropping the ball at Hull.

To May 8.