A TRAGEDY THAT STILL RINGS TRUE TODAY
Sive The Gaiety Theatre, Dublin, until March 3 Verdict: Cultural classic Rating:
JOHN B Keane’s Sive is one of Ireland’s best-loved plays and it would be safe to say that most people over the age of 35 have seen it at least once.
The tale of greed, bitterness, family loyalty and exploitation shocked the country when it was first performed by the Listowel Drama Group in 1959 and undoubtedly leaves even the most cynical critic with a lump in their throat today.
With Druid Theatre Company reinvigorating the tale under the watchful eye of artistic director Garry Hynes, a lot was at stake, The production opens with Nanna and her daughter-in-law Mena Glavin sniping at each other in the home they share with Mena’s husband Mike and his orphaned niece, Sive.
Mena deeply resents having to care for a ‘bastard’ child but Nana dotes on the teenager and frequently battles Mena on her behalf.
It’s this toxic relationship that provides the impetus for the plot which sees Mena agree to marry Sive off to an ancient local farmer, Seán Dóta, in exchange for £200 and a chance to be free of her mother-in-law.
You can almost hear the glee with which Keane penned the vicious exchanges between mother and daughter-in-law, not only sticking the knife in but twisting it with relish.
It’s been 10 years since I’ve seen Sive and one thing that continues to delight is Keane’s uncanny ability to portray the Irish humour and vernacular of the time.
Putting ‘how are you’ at the end of a sentence to express disbelief and using phrases like ‘cnámh-shawling’ (complaining) will be very familiar to older generations and bring a wry grin of acknowledgement to their children’s faces.
Of course, reworking a classic can be a difficult task, even for someone as feted as Hynes, and the danger with such expressive dialogue from Keane’s pen is that in the modern age, it can sound almost like a parody.
Thankfully, the Druid production manages to avoid falling into this trap and, as the play progresses, the rhythm of the dialogue becomes more natural to the ear with every step.
Grainne Good is more than impressive in the title role while Andrea Irvine is razor-sharp as the bold Mena.
Many, like me, might be surprised at first to see Tommy Tiernan’s name in the cast. I was worried that his comedy lines and high profile would prevent me from accepting him in the role of matchmaker Tomasheen Seán Rua.
To my delight, not only was Tommy’s performance utterly compelling, but he stole each one of his scenes with a pitch-perfect delivery and a layer of physical comedy that added much-needed lightness to many a grim moment.
Sadly, the play’s main theme — the loss of innocence and manipulation of a young girl — is one that is still painfully relevant today.
It might be a different century but Keane’s tragic masterpiece is a timely reminder of the progress our society has yet to make.