Stars align for this new take on a classic play
The Plough and the Stars: Gaiety Theatre, until Saturday Verdict: Raw, gritty and utterly brilliant Rating:
SEÁN O’Casey’s turbulent depiction of life set against the chaos of the Easter Rising has been seen by more than 50,000 people in Ireland. It’s also remembered by countless people who studied it at Leaving and Junior Cert level.
Until Wednesday night, to my shame, I was one of the few people who had neither studied nor seen The Plough and the Stars.
I’d heard of it, of course, but I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. And what I saw made me lean forward in my seat and catch my breath on more than one occasion. I also laughed out loud as I was reminded that, even at the bleakest moments in our history, there is humour to be found.
The story centres around a group of residents living in a Dublin tenement as violence sweeps through the city’s streets.
As the revolution rages around them, we watch their lives — and the path of Ireland’s future — unravel and change forever as the violence escalates.
When The Plough and the Stars was first performed at the Abbey Theatre in 1926, it caused a riot among the audience members.
Now rightly regarded as a masterpiece, the play that was totally groundbreaking in its day is considered an essential part of our understanding of 1916.
Produced by the Abbey Theatre and Lyric Hammersmith, this version offers something different for modern audiences and is directed by Englishman and Olivier award-winning director Sean Holmes.
At the time the appointment of Holmes was regarded as a daring move by the then director of the Abbey, Fiach MacConghail, to ask a an Englishman to oversee the new production of this classic work.
But it was a gamble that richly paid off as, along with the strong cast, he manages to create a production that seems to resonate with a contemporary audience while remaining true to the spirit of O’Casey, one of our greatest playwrights.
Every member of the cast is spectacular but special mention must be given to former Fair City star Hilda Fay who is outstanding as the irrepressible Bessie Burgess and Ciarán O’Brien who also excels as The Young Covey.
However, it’s Phelim Drew as the lovable but highly-strung Fluther Good who steals every scene — I couldn’t say a ‘derogatory’ word about him!
The set changes are done against a backdrop of pumping rock music as the cast members walk slowly around the stage, eyeballing the audience.
From the disturbing opening to the heart-ripping closing scene, your emotions never rest for a second.
You may have seen The Plough and the Stars before but you’ve never seen it like this. It’s a truly memorable production that shows a good play really will stand the test of time if in the right hands.