Failed expectations are central to Bernard Farrell's new comedy, Kevin's Bed, which opened at the Abbey Theatre on Wednesday night. Happily, the audience's great expectations were more than fulfilled. The verdict afterwards was that this was Bernard's best play to date, a view unequivocally shared by Pat Moylan, artistic director of Andrews Lane Theatre - a magnanimous statement considering she staged two of his earlier plays.
The author, who was accosted by a steady stream of friends and admirers after the show, admitted to being more than satisfied with the evening and said he is looking forward to concentrating in the near future on such projects as the UEFA Cup, the FA Cup and the Soccer World Cup.
Director Ben Barnes seemed delighted with the audience's response, especially the appreciation of the play's bitter-sweet quality. Strung out after directing five shows in five months, he too is looking forward to a few weeks' rest before directing a series of radio plays for the BBC. Ben and his wife Julia were joined by playwright and author Jim Nolan, actress Caroline Gray and her economist husband Alan.
Actor Stephen Brennan, in the audience to see his sister Barbara Brennan, is yet another thespian taking a break from theatre work. He has given up his customary evening shift at the Gate theatre in favour of a day job at Ardmore Studios, filming a children's series for Fox Television.
Stephen was chatting with Joan O'Clery, who designed the costumes for Kevin's Bed, and actress Claudia Carroll, who leaves soon for Charleston, South Carolina with the Gate Theatre's production of Lady Windemere's Fan.
Politicians were underrepresented for a change, but the opening night crowd did include such notables as US ambassador Jean Kennedy- Smith, playwright Hugh Leonard, writer and Irish Times columnist Maeve Binchy, pianist John O'Conor and Glenroe star Geraldine Plunkett.