Local actors shine bright in dark tale
Enniscorthy Drama Group surpassed itself last weekend with four gripping performances of Tom Murphy’s A Whistle In The Dark at the Presentation Arts Centre. The compelling piece of drama received standing ovations and a tremendous response from the Enniscorthy audience.
Brilliantly directed by Jimmy Kavanagh this dark tale tells the story of the Carney family who left Mayo in the 1950s for work in Coventry. The eldest brother Michael has married an English girl and is desperately trying to integrate and become part of the local scene while hampered at every turn by his three brothers Harry, Iggy and Hugo who are only interested in using their fists to prove that they are better than anyone else, especially another Irish family in the area, the Mullryans.
Things in the Carney household are bad enough with Michael’s marriage to English Betty precariously hanging in the balance as they struggle to cope with the brothers’ constant drinking and fighting but they are to become an awful lot worse with a visit from Dada Carney and their youngest brother Des.
Dada, the brutish patriach, immediately sets out to control, manipulate and set the other brothers against the eldest Michael whom they accuse of being a coward because he is trying to remove himself from their tribal thinking and violent ways.
Dada is expertly played by that old gentleman of Gorey Theatre Gary Lombard who delivers a stunning performance as the disgruntled Irish father with a chip akin to a cement block on his shoulder having been forced to resign from the Gardai, taking his disappointment with life and his inferiority complex out on his wife and children in a violent and abusive manner.
Michael Carney is a troubled soul, intelligent enough to know what his father is and what he has done to their family but desperate to love him and be loyal to the family unit whilst at the same time really wanting to build a new, normal life for himself far away from the maddness and the violence that was his childhood and adolesence. Rob McEvoy depicts the inner struggle and torment of Michael Carney to perfection.
Harry Carney pretends to be less intelligent than he actually is and uses his supposed stupidity as an excuse for using his fists instead of his brain to solve his problems. He is the leader of the fighting Carneys and Fintan Kelly excels in the role, goading the older Michael and egging on the younger brother Des. Fintan’s performance is top drawer, his intensity and menacing demeanor never wanes as he delivers every line with passion and terrifying anger that has the power to frighten and shock his audience.
Iggy Carney is the muscle of the family, a strongly built fighting machine who is brave beyond question but sometimes bewildered as to why he has to be like that and George Percival’s wonderful portrayal of his character gives us fleeting glimpses of his confusion and uncertainty. George is extremely well cast in the role having the physique to go with the part.
Hugo Carney simply follows the pack and does what he is told with no real or definite opinions or mind of his own and Michael Whelan turns in a most believable performance in the role of ‘the thick’ of the Carney family.
Des Carney the youngest brother of the Carney family is at a crossroads in his life and is not sure which way to turn, he has admiration for both of his older brothers Michael and Harry and can’t decide which one to side with. Brendan Robinson is a revelation in the role. His performance is excellent for a relative newcomer to drama, he is comforta- ble, clear, relaxed and convincing with great stage presence.
Mush O’Reilly, friend of the Carney family, is your typical Irish ‘cute hoor’ and is expertly played by Jamie T Murphy who adds humour and levity to the darkness in his own distinctive style. Jamie possess that wonderful ability on stage of making the audience like him.
Betty, the only female in the play, is extremely well portrayed by Annemarie Whelan who does her utmost to remain sane and pleasant and keep some semblance of normality in her home and in her marriage amidst the ever erupting abuse and violence of her husbands family. Annemarie gives a most convincing performance complete with facial expressions and English accent.
Tom Murphy certainly had his finger on the pulse of 1950s Ireland when he wrote this one, the father being the ultimate boss in most Irish households and the welfare, stability and normality of his spouse and children totally dependent on his normality, stability and ability to cope. Perhaps, in light of recent tragedies nothing much has changed since then.
Well done Enniscorthy Drama not just for providing Town Thespians with another marvellous performance on their doorsteps but for choosing a thought provoking and very challenging one.