A REDEMPTIVE NIGHT OF THEATRE
THE WORK of Conor McPherson is a regular on the drama festival circuit and, this year, Ballycogley Players took on his latest play ‘The Night Alive’, a play about, amongst other things, redemption and how one moment can change everything in a life.
The group has a certain affinity with the writer as they won the Confined All Ireland in 2006 with his masterpiece ‘The Weir’.
The pace of the play is, at times, frantic with characters talking over each other, interrupting each other, and trailing off mid-sentence, the trick being that the audience needs to understand what they were about to say. As adjudicator David Scott remarked, the writing is seamlessly realistic and, for the most part, Ballycogley, under the guidance of director Breda Hayes, executed that well.
Con Doyle couldn’t be more natural if he tried - he shuffles in and out of the action as if he was walking around his own house - his gruff delivery of lines raises laughs throughout.
Trish Boyce as Aimee, the lone woman in the piece, makes an impact right from her entry, with a bloodied nose and the flightiness of a colt in a paddock. Colm Doyle, as her psychotic boyfriend Kenneth has great physical presence and the threat that he poses is palpable. However, at times, some of his lines got lost due to over stressing the inner-city Dublin accent.
Chris Maddock has returned to the Ballycogley fold in recent years and hasn’t disappointed in any of the roles he’s played. His portrayal of Tommy is wonderfully realistic and he hits the highs and lows required of the character. From grooving to Marvin Gaye to attempting a farewell to Doc - a beautifully executed abandoned shoulder squeeze, combined with a facial expression that tells us exactly how he feels about the situation.
Finally, Sean Carthy as the simple Doc, who proudly proclaims that he is five to seven minutes slower than other people, is excellent. He lumbers in and out of the flat through the window, and his reliance on Tommy is evident. His reaction during the dance scene, when he notices Tommy and Aimee together, is akin to kicking a puppy, as he skulks away to the corner.
Two questions are given emphasis during the play - ‘what’s going on?’ as sung by Marvin Gaye; and Doc’s heartbreaking ‘What am I gonna do?’ when he realises that Tommy’s future does not include him.
In essence, they sum up where all of the characters are in their lives - the last scene doesn’t offer closure but, as in many of McPherson’s plays, it does offer hope, and what more could you want of a cold Friday evening?