Maeve’s Candle waxes and wanes
Light A Penny Candle Gaiety Until May 4 ★★★★★
How do you condense a 600-odd page Maeve Binchy novel into a two-hour play? Well, it helps if, as in this case, the original is over-written, has vast amounts of insignificant detail, lots of disposable characters and dollops of dialogue that need savage pruning. Shea Linehan’s adaptation changes the tone subtly to inject a good deal of colloquial humour into the script, that has a strong air of Irish whimsicality about it, but is largely enjoyable.
The second half deals with the more serious events by cutting out the highly melodramatic aspects. But having to make so many compromises to suit the restrictions of the stage confirms my belief that adaptations should be left to the TV or cinema, especially where adults have to be used for children’s roles to fit the budget.
The basic story has Elizabeth White, an English girl evacuated for safety during World War Two into the O’Connor family living in a rural Irish village. Aisling O’Connor and Elizabeth, ten-yearolds, become inseparable friends through their five years together, and the bond continues through love, marriage, abortion, unhappiness, tragedy and adultery despite
their living in different countries.
The themes include the baleful effects of alcohol, and the powerful influence of the Catholic Church, expressed briefly through attitudes to sin, sex and a scowling nun. Attempting to include a lot of the original story while using a small cast, involves passing time being signalled by regular references to people’s ages and not going into great depth about anything.
One character is given brief exposure before being shipped off to Italy, war and death. Mrs O’Connor only has time for a few philosophical reflections before she’s hobbling, dead and buried. Aisling’s husband, Tony, goes from chirpy chappie to abusive sexually impotent alcoholic in jig time.
The cast has been narrowed down to five playing the main roles, and doubling briefly in others. The show is carried by the performances of Kate Gilmore as Aisling and India Mullen as Elizabeth. Kate Gilmore has brilliant comic timing and switches convincingly from childish exuberance to adult maturity.
The role of husband Tony is unsatisfactory. His alcoholism seems thrown in from nowhere as
Direction by Peter Sheridan is generally snappy and the audience seemed to love it all
soon as he’s married, making you wonder if he’s as much homosexual as boozer. And Ste Murray was inadequate in the role, sounding too much like somebody trying unsuccessfully to act like a drunk.
Clelia Murphy as Mrs O’Connor makes the most of her few opportunities. The occasional intrusions by Sean (Fionn Foley) on guitar are meant to emphasise moods from hilarity to grief, but succeed in neither.
Direction by Peter Sheridan is generally snappy and the audience seemed to love it all.