A Swift revamp that still packs an acid punch
A Modest Proposal (New Theatre until March 2 Verdict: Shockingly good ))))*
ANYONE who has read Jonathan Swift’s original work from 1729 will know the sting in this tale that has been reworked for the modern era by David Quinn. But few will fail to be shocked as Quinn deftly holds a mirror up to society in a way that will have you squirming in your seat.
Jed Murray is Jonathan — but only his mother calls him that. He’s Johnny from JW Solutions and he’s meeting members of the board head on with some blue sky thinking.
Johnny has an idea, a plan, something that will solve the problem of child poverty.
He’s got the patter, he’s got the powerpoint, now all he needs is for the audience to get on board with his plan.
The problem is huge and unfortunately the figures Johnny has on his projector are real — child poverty in Ireland is growing at a rate of 10 per cent every year.
And while the figures flash before our eyes, Johnny is keen to point out that the money we’re giving to charity is doing little to solve the issues that we face in society. We’re getting fatigued, he tells the audience, of putting our hands in our pockets when the problem isn’t being resolved.
Decked out in a polo neck, jeans and trendy trainers, Murray as Johnny is the perfect marketeer so his proposal is all the more outrageous when it hits.
There are absolutely laugh out loud moments and some others which take a second or two to hit but Murray manages to keep momentum in a fast-moving show. Johnny plays on our modern day desire to have the best of everything , the exclusive, the expensive , the extraordinary, the experience.
In a world where social media trades on one-uppmanship the satire in this modern-day Modest Proposal means that a laugh one minute can lead to an uncomfortable feeling the next. And so it should.
The fact that 190,000 children currently live in poverty is something we should all feel ashamed about. As Johnny says, this is not 1824, it’s not 1924, it’s 2024 and still this problem is growing in our society.
And if Quinn’s excellent and horrific ending doesn’t drive the point home, then nothing will.