Irish ghosts come to life in West End’s outstanding ‘Da’
During the intermission of West End Production’s current revival of Hugh Leonard’s play, “Da,” an audience member said to me, “The Irish are a nation of great poets and playwrights, but not editors.” This was her way of saying that the play was longwinded and could have used some judicious trimming.
Although an Irish play, “Da” opened not in Ireland but in this country off-off Broadway in 1978. It soon transferred to Broadway, where it was a smash hit, winning all the major critics’ prizes, including the Tony Award for Best Play. It’s true that the Irish love to talk, but clearly American audiences loved listening.
The play tells the story of Nick Tynan (“Da”) through the memory of his adopted son, Charlie, who has returned home for his father’s funeral and is surprised to encounter the old man’s ghost. Nonchalantly taking a seat in his favorite chair and lighting a pipe, Da proceeds to drive his son nuts, just as he did when he was alive.
Charlie is now a successful writer, far surpassing (in the eyes of the world) his unambitious father, who worked as a gardener for an upper-crust — and very cheap — Protestant family. Da represents Old Catholic Ireland: conservative, provincial, and exasperatingly deferential to his “betters”
(at least to Charlie). When the cynical bureaucrat Drumm arrives at the house, the old man launches into a speech lauding Hitler, giving exuberant expression to his certainty that Germany will clobber England and win the war.
This is a memory play, and Leonard peoples the stage not only with Da, but with other ghosts crowding Charlie’s mind as well, especially his mother and younger self.
If an audience is to spend 2½ hours listening to the Irish gab, then it’s clear the actors must, first and foremost, master not only the Irish dialect but Irish rhythms as well.
The production features some excellent performances, most particularly Philip Shortell as Da, newcomer James Patten as Young Charlie, and Frederick Ponzlov as the aforementioned Drumm. Ashley Reid and Carolyn Ward are also very good in smaller roles. Reid appears in only one scene, but it was the funniest and perhaps the best scene in the play. Her body language and facial expressions subtly captured young Mary Tate’s thoughts and emotions with sensitivity and precision. Mary is a woman with a reputation among the boys, but Reid evinced the human being behind the stereotype brilliantly.
Glenn Pepe’s set design is excellent; as are Lorri Oliver’s period costumes.
West End continues to do great work. For a contemporary Irish play, I would have preferred something by Martin McDonagh, Conor McPherson or Brian Friel, but the audience seemed to love this particular Hugh Leonard play, rising to its feet on opening night to give the cast a standing ovation.
“Da” is playing through June 10 at the VSA North Fourth Art Center, 4904 Fourth NW, Albuquerque. Go to westendproductions.org or call 410-8524 for reservations.