The Good People were once angels who ran with Lucifer's gang, and were sent to Ireland by God to expiate their sin. W. B. Yeats got on to them, and the myths he collected were made into a Christmas show last year in the Pavilion.
They did well, and are back this year, again with the co-operation of writer-director Karen Hebden, to try for a suspension of sentence.
Their tales are played in 17 scenes, beginning with a recap of the Creation and the start of their earthly adventures. The deal with God is that they do three good deeds consecutively to obtain a judicial review.
This brings them into active contact with the Lazy Beauty and her Aunts, rascal Teig O'Kane and the Corpse, Soul Cages and Twelve Wild Geese.
Later on, in the second act, they become involved with Colleen Baun, her spellbound brothers and the romantic Prince Niam. The devil takes a hand, and the Prince is forced to tackle three tasks to win his beloved.
There is a marathon good versus evil chess game, with co-opted children as pieces, and good has a rather unsporting win. There is a happy and not entirely expected ending to it all.
The show shares a lot - colourful costumes, fairytale plot, clowning, song and dance - with other seasonal shows around town.
Its special merits are that it is not formula driven, and has an interesting literary base with Yeats's poems set to music for the songs. The actors - Steve Blount, Elaine Hearty, Brian de Salvo, Michael Sands, Liz Schwartz, Poppy Tierney and Jack Walsh - are excellent in all departments of acting, singing and graceful movement.
An impressive set, designed in traverse with the audience on two sides, ensures that the smallest onlooker has a good view of the action. Nice one.
Runs until January 19th; to book phone 01-2312929