27 September 2008

The Walworth Farce by Enda Walsh

Dinny - Denis Conway
Sean - Tadhg Murphy
Blake - Garrett Lombard
Hayley - Mercy Ojelade

Directed by Mikel Murfi
Designed by Sabine Dargent.

Seen on a lovely standby in my favourite row at the Cottesloe


This was as funny as any afternoon with an Irish play can be. Not as tight as The Seafarer but a really interesting and heartbreaking premise on which to hang a comedy drama. At a time when we may have seen a few too many plays within a play, this worked well. I loved the two singles beds made from a double cut down the middle.

There were wonderful performances from the young cast. I remember Tadhg Murphy in Dublin by Lamplight and it made my sadly think of Tom Jordan Murphy.

I don't think the blacking up at the end worked as well as it was supposed to but in a funny way, it could have been just as effective if we only saw him find the boot polish and rub it in before going out - rather than turning around to us. I'm not sure the matinee audience were as totally with it as they might have been. I could easily imagine what a riot the Press Night must have been.