Prisoners of a generation game
Kevin Barry’s debut play is blackly comic but never trivial
Autumn Royal Project Arts Centre Cube T ouring until June 2
By now it’s a familiar theme. An elderly unlovable, unseen, bed-bound father, endlessly muttering to himself, while a brother and sister spend their frustrated lives tending to his needs with a mixture of hatred and duty, wondering what to do with him as their own lives go on hold, unappreciated and unfulfilled.
It’s a gloomy set-up, but writer Kevin Barry’s 75-minute twohander allows the resentment and mixed emotions to come through in the fiercest of black comedy through the uninhibited interaction between the contrasted brother and sister.
May (Siobhán McSweeney) and Timothy (Peter Campion) cope with their situation in their own style. Tim, with eleven followers on Twitter, lives in a hopeless world of wishful thinking, attempting a pathetic CV for a dating online service, while dreaming of getting to Australia, marrying, having an ideal family and enjoying the healthy outdoor life, although he can’t imagine himself ever letting go of Cork.
May is a tougher nut, erupting at times into angry outbursts of obscene language that are inspired by her past and present situations. She trawls though vivid memories of growing up, that add no element of sweet sentiment to their plight. Their lives consist of elaborate preparations for the simplest meals and doing laundry.
The draining, soul-destructing life is emphasised by 18 washing machines piled up and spread around the set. It’s definitely a case of too much distracting comic symbolism, but it fits in with the general theme of the play in its depiction of a smothering situation in a stifling environment. Brother and sister are obsessed with the real or imaginary squinting eyes of the neighbours. Do what’s right and it’s expected; do the wrong thing and you’ll be condemned for being unfeeling and shameful.
But what’s the solution to their claustrophobic situation? Death ideally, but waiting for it to happen naturally could be a long haul. A nursing home? Perhaps, but that’s no guarantee of safety and relaxation. Taking positive action? There are some nice moments of unspoken and even spoken possibilities.
Kevin Barry has built a strong reputation through his novels, including Beatlebone and City of Bohane, and this, his first play, presents a serious subject with a waspish wit, given a seriously entertaining treatment that never trivialises the subject. Siobhán McSweeney and Peter Campion complement each other brilliantly in an Everyman, Cork production, that continues its nationwide tour until June 2.
It plays in Longford, May 15/16; Newbridge, May 18/19; Bray, May 22/23; Cavan, May 29/30; and Roscommon, June 1/2.