Compelling comedy and dark drama in The Lonesome West
PROGRESS Theatre’s latest production is Martin McDonagh’s The Lonesome West, which follows two brothers after the death of their father.
Set in rural Ireland, the play explores themes of contrition, sibling rivalry, and the damage that spite inflicts upon those we love the most.
Coleman and Valene are living in their father’s house after Coleman has accidentally killed him with a shotgun, and begins in the aftermath of the funeral.
Coleman, portrayed by Damien Passmore, is constantly fighting with his brother, Valene, portrayed by Paul Gittus, and the situation escalates as the reality of their father’s passing sets in.
The play’s opening scene comes thick and fast with jokes as the brothers speak with Father Welsh, portrayed by Adam Wells.
They are also joined by Girleen, a young girl and member of Father Welsh’s flock, portrayed by Imogen Lilley.
All are notable not only for their control of Irish accents, but also the feeling of an understanding of the particular tone, style, and rhythms of speech and sense of humour which come along with them.
Both Passmore and Gittus portray the brotherly animosity with conviction, with the constant bickering between the two feeling like the manifestation of deeper resentment.
Neither lets the darker moments of the first half cloud the jovial tone too much, but they also avoid stripping those moments of their dramatic impact.
Similarly, it feels like the cast has fun with the lighter parts of the play, especially in the opening scene.
As the light-heartedness falls away in the second half, each actor comes into their own.
Wells’ portrayal of an alcoholic priest, who is wrestling with crises of faith following multiple grisly deaths in his parish, builds in intensity through the play.
This comes to a head in an especially striking monologue from Father Welsh, during which Wells gives an assured, confident performance in the face of dark and weighty subject matter, especially when dwelling on the fleeting moments of comedic respite during the scene.
Imogen Lilley’s Girleen, who feels like comic relief as a character during the first half, also blossoms into something else entirely.
Lilley’s performance makes this about-turn all the more impactful through its accomplished combination of youthful naivety and an underlying longing, again contributing to the heart-break of the play’s final act.
As the play draws to a close, it becomes clear that while all four actors have the ability to throw the script around during its comedy moments, each can also show the deeper, compelling humanity of the characters.
The set is also excellently imagined, evoking the close and cosy interior of a humble Irish home, complete with convincing and well-observed touches.
The very final image of the production is particularly powerful as a result of a choice practical effect which is very well executed.
Overall, The Lonesome West is a triumph of the duality of theatre, with the production celebrating the humour and levity of small-town life while also contemplating the darkest responses of the human psyche well.
The show runs at Progress Theatre, The Mount, from Friday, March 3, to Saturday, March 11.
Progress Theatre will see the rest of the season out with productions of Moira Buffini’s Dinner, Sandi Toksvig’s Silver Lining, and a performance of Twelfth Night for its annual open air event in the Abbey Ruins in the summer.