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Family from hell are superb
A WHISLTE IN THE DARK
Tricycle Theatre
TOM Murphys extraordinary first endeavour may now be
seen as a violent precursor to Harold Pinters The Homecoming,
but where Pinters play concerns itself with the inner
tensions of sibling rivalry and the strangers (sister-in-law)
sexual fantasies being aroused by her husbands misogynistic
family, Murphys piece focuses on the tribe and the hierarchy
of family structure.
It was originally produced in 1961 at Stratford East by Joan
Littlewood and presented as a gladiatorial orgy of proletarian
power, with the pathetic character of Dada as patrician. This
interpretation was lost to many from the Irish community, especially
those from Mayo, from where the primitive Carney brothers of
the play hail. Dublins Abbey Theatre refused to perform
the play as it was seen to be too negative and showed the rural
Irish in a poor light.
The play is set in Coventry in the late 1950s, where Michael
(Pat OKane) and his English wife Betty (Esther Hall) invite
Michaels brothers to stay with them. The tension erupts
with the arrival of his father, Dada (Gary Whelan) and the youngest
son, Des (Kieran Gough), a bright young thing whom Michael had
hoped would move away from the emotional gas chamber of the
family and go to college.
There are many outstanding performances in this production and
excellent all-round commitment and energy, but Whelans
swaggering Dada is quite breathtaking a coward, a bully
and an egocentric echoing Christy Mahons old man in Playboy
Of The Western World its little wonder that Christy
wanted to kill him.
Esther Halls liberal English wife, Betty,
is truly understanding; however, when it became a choice between
her husbands crazed family and sanity, she chooses the
latter, leaving them to their inevitably violent fate.
A fine production, superbly directed by Jacob Murray, and a
wonderful ensemble cast the original family from hell.
Until May 6
020 7328 1000
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