One man and a drink
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Cork native Aidan O'Hare is the sole actor. Photo: Courtesy of the Shanghai Repertory Theater |
Slow, lonesome pipe music and the faint grumbling of traffic open The Cure, a work by Cónal Creedon. The Irish writer's success here last year with After Luke and When I Was God during 2010 Shanghai Expo strengthened Creedon's ties with the town.
Returning with the Cork city-based theater company Irishtown Productions, the play has run through the St Patrick Day festivities and will see its final performance tomorrow night.
This one-character play is an insight into the world of a working-class man from Cork, who is unemployed, drunk and looking for a pub that will open up early enough for him to continue his days-long bender.
While we wait for opening hour, our protagonist delivers a wide-ranging discourse on his relationships with family and friends, with each section concluding quite miserably as our drunk decides to sidestep his problems and concentrate on the next pint of ale.
The alehouse receives a pretty bad press in The Cure – it is where the generations of the family go to drink as part of their process of distorting reality to fit in sequestering their own responsibilities.
Cork native Aidan O'Hare is the sole actor. On opening night his monologue was presented with gusto and moments of genuine charm. O'Hare was at his best portraying the angry, world-weary aspects of his character.
He was also strong when speaking as other characters in the play – especially effective when imitating the mealy-mouthed, portentous Brother Keenan, a man he desperately wants to punch, but can't quite bring himself to damage.
Delivering a monologue that lasts almost an hour and a half is not an easy task for an actor – there is nothing in the way of prompts from others on stage. That said, the opening night was frequently interrupted by requests for prompts.
O'Hare did deliver some of the play's best moments with aplomb. For example: "And if there's one thing I've learned about relationships ... When the chemistry goes in a relationship there's one thing for it.
Take more chemicals!" More subtle descriptions however, such as Brother Keenan's "watering eyes rolling between wrinkly lids" as he waxed lyrical on an insignificant point, were unfortunately lost in a delivery that was hastily and nervously projected.
Some overseas critics have suggested that Creedon's play is both entertaining and educational. The latter claim would seem to rest on the fact that the play eventually stresses the importance of taking responsibility for one's actions and not blaming circumstances (especially broader historical ones) for personal misfortune.
Although there is instructional merit in these claims, it is not altogether clear that this advice should be taken too strongly.
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Cork native Aidan O'Hare is the sole actor. Photo: Courtesy of the Shanghai Repertory Theater |
As a personal creed Creedon's conclusion is certainly praiseworthy, but when it comes to broader political or juridical concepts, there are many circumstance beyond an individual's control that radically influence behavior, from genetics all the way to socio-political environments.
This is not to suggest that Creedon is offering such an extreme position. It is clear, however, that The Cure does not provide much in the way of counter-argument. It is more focused on a particular demerit, that of an almost institutionalized need to export personal inadequacies onto the greater canvas of history.
Thus, the grandfather rails against the burning of Cork by the Black and Tans in the 20s, the father against the demise of his job-for-life with the closure of the Ford and Dunlop factories during the 80s, and the son is a mixture of all these events and seems to blame them all.
While Creedon's character is intended to play the role of the man you want to avoid in the pub – complaining, aggressive and bitter – he should perhaps offer something further, something poetic or redemptive.
Unfortunately, there is not enough to like about this man. His enlightenment at the end of play seems shallow and forced. We expect that he will return to another stage soon and repeat lines like "My future was written on the wall a long time ago, when there was sweet f*** all." This is all well and good but we want to hear something beautiful too.
Date: Today and tomorrow, 8 pm
Venue: The Ke Center
Address: 613B Kaixuan Road 凯旋路613号B座
Admission: 100 yuan
Call 6131-3080 for details
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