 Osborne was already at work on a new play , The Entertainer , an allegory of Britain 's post @-@ colonial decline , centred on a seedy variety comedian , Archie Rice . Having read the first act — all that was completed by then — Olivier asked to be cast in the part . He had for years maintained that he might easily have been a third @-@ rate comedian called " Larry Oliver " , and would sometimes play the character at parties . Behind Archie 's brazen façade there is a deep desolation , and Olivier caught both aspects , switching , in the words of the biographer Anthony Holden , " from a gleefully tacky comic routine to moments of the most wrenching pathos " . Tony Richardson 's production for the English Stage Company transferred from the Royal Court to the Palace Theatre in September 1957 ; after that it toured and returned to the Palace . The role of Archie 's daughter Jean was taken by three actresses during the various runs . The second of them was Joan Plowright , with whom Olivier began a relationship that endured for the rest of his life . Olivier said that playing Archie " made me feel like a modern actor again " . In finding an avant @-@ garde play that suited him , he was , as Osborne remarked , far ahead of Gielgud and Ralph Richardson , who did not successfully follow his lead for more than a decade . Their first substantial successes in works by any of Osborne 's generation were Alan Bennett 's Forty Years On ( Gielgud in 1968 ) and David Storey 's Home ( Richardson and Gielgud in 1970 ) . 
 Osborne<a href='been_done' title='1'><mark></mark></a> was already at work on a new play , The Entertainer , an allegory of Britain <a href='null_genetive' title='2'><mark>'s</mark></a>post @-@ colonial decline , centred on a seedy variety comedian , Archie Rice . Having read the first act — all <a href='null_relcl' title='3'><mark>that</mark></a>was completed by then — Olivier asked to be cast in the part . He <a href='been_done' title='4'><mark>had</mark></a> for years maintained that he might easily have been a third @-@ rate comedian called " Larry Oliver " , and would sometimes play the character at parties . Behind Archie <a href='null_genetive' title='5'><mark>'s</mark></a>brazen façade <a href='dey_it' title='6'><mark>there</mark></a> is a deep desolation , and Olivier caught both aspects , switching , in the words of the biographer Anthony Holden , " from a gleefully tacky comic routine to moments of the most wrenching pathos " . Tony Richardson <a href='null_genetive' title='7'><mark>'s</mark></a>production for the English Stage Company transferred from the Royal Court to the Palace Theatre in September 1957 ; after that it toured and returned to the Palace . The role of Archie <a href='null_genetive' title='8'><mark>'s</mark></a>daughter Jean was taken by three actresses during the various runs . The second of them was Joan Plowright , with whom Olivier began a relationship <a href='null_relcl' title='9'><mark>that</mark></a>endured for the rest of his life . Olivier said that playing Archie " made me feel like a modern actor again " . In finding an avant @-@ garde play <a href='null_relcl' title='10'><mark>that</mark></a>suited him , he was , as Osborne remarked , far ahead of Gielgud and Ralph Richardson , <a href='null_relcl' title='11'><mark>who</mark></a>did not successfully follow his lead for more than a <a href='negative_concord' title='12'><mark>decade</mark></a> . Their first substantial successes in works by any of Osborne <a href='null_genetive' title='13'><mark>'s</mark></a>generation <a href='uninflect' title='14'><mark>were</mark></a> Alan Bennett <a href='null_genetive' title='15'><mark>'s</mark></a>Forty Years On ( Gielgud in 1968 ) and David Storey <a href='null_genetive' title='16'><mark>'s</mark></a>Home ( Richardson and Gielgud in 1970 ) . 
Osborne done was already at work on a new play , da Entertainer , an allegory of Britain  post @-@ colonial decline , centred on a seedy variety comedian , Archie Rice . havin read the first act — alll was completed by then — Olivier asked to b cast in the part . He done fa yrs maintained that he mite easily have been a third @-@ rate comedian called " Larry Oliver " , and would sometimes play tdacharacter at parties . Behind Archie  brazen façade it is a deep desolation , and Olivier caught both aspects , switching , in thdaords of the biographer Anthony Holden , " from a gleefully tacky comic routine to moments of the most wrenching pathos " . Tony Richardson  production for the English Stage Company transferred from the Royal Court to thedalace Theatre in September 1957 ; after that it toured and returned to the daace . The role of Archie  daughter Jean was taken by three actresses durin the various runs . The second of em was Joan Plowright , wit whom Olivier began a relationship endured for the rda of his life . Olivier said dat playin Archie " made me feel like a modern actor again " . In finding an avant @-@ garde play suited em , he was , as Osborne remarked , far ahead of Gielgud and Ralph Richardson , did not successfully follow his lead ffirmore den a no decade . Their first substantial successes in works by any of Osborne  generation was Alan Bennett  Forty Years On ( Gielgud in 1968 ) and David Storey  Home ( Richardson and Gielgud in 1970 ) .