Irish Times writers give their verdicts.
The Mikado
Cork Opera House
By Mary Leland
As if complicit in some joyous plot, all the principals in the Carl Rosa Company presentation of The Mikado at the Opera House contrive to make the ricidulous sublime. Nowhere is this more obvious, and more enjoyable, than in the Tit Willow rendition by Simon Butteriss: the simple melody retains its pathos without losing its nonsense in a performance which might be said to be the keynote of the entire production, were there not so many other keys. Chief among these must be the over-riding principle of this interpretation, which is blessedly not an "interpretation" at all, but a stylistic homage to the original production of 1885. The very beautiful costumes and radiant settings are all very well; what matters in this case is the way in which the libretto has been refreshed by an intelligent and enthusiastic cast, all working in the belief that the audience is not familiar with the story. This concerns a wandering minstrel (an effective Ivan Sharpe) in seach of his love, who is about to be married to the Lord High Executioner; the nonsensical developments required to bring this romance to a happy conclusion make up the rest of the action. The succinct exposition means that the idiocies are intelligible and the jokes - particularly well created by Bruce Graham's Pooh-Bah - always coherent. Traces of Victorian controversies drift like spice over the libretto, in which perfect diction gives weight to every syllable. The singing, too, salutes the vocal and orchestral structure of the work, again allowing for observance of a musical convention to which the singers adapt readily, none more so than in the engaging Yum-Yum of Maeve Morris. The Katisha of Nuala Willis is a marvel of technique and timing, and the orchestra under Martin Handley plays with sympathetic verve. Researched and recreated by Eric Roberts and Peter Mulloy, this production has the conviction of authenticity and moves at a heady pace.
Runs until Nov 5
The Day They Shot John Lennon
International Bar, Dublin
By Gerry Colgan
The 25th anniversary of the shooting of John Lennon is doubtless the reason that Curtain Call Theatre Company decided to revive this play by James McClure. It is difficult to think of any other, for it is a shapeless, incoherent work that defies their attempt to bring it to life. Even its title - there was only one killer - argues an exploitative intent on the author's part.
The play purports to study a cross-section of the mob that gathered at the scene of the crime. The mix of pseudo-drama, lowbrow comedy and callow exchanges has little to do with Lennon. Sentiments on the lines that he took the pain for all of us and taught us how to love are woven into the fabric, but essentially we are listening to nine individuals revealing immature relationships through gauche dialogue.
The cast, directed by Susanna Caprara, cannot do much with what might once have been an attempted satire on American society, but is now no more than tedious farce. The actors establish strong stage presences, but must seek better material if they are to develop them in performance.
