THEATRE REVIEW:The Cripple of Inishmaan

Set on a remote island off the west coast of Ireland in 1934, Martin McDonagh's The Cripple of Inishmaan is filled with a cast of extraordinary characters and unexpected plot twists.

The first play of the Aran Islands trilogy, The Cripple of Inishmaan is as funny and sad as it is exhilarating, proving that McDonagh is an adept hand at story telling.

Referring to McDonagh's plays, Director Adam Cook states in the production notes, “his plays are populated by misfits and miscreants. It’s an amoral, anarchic place where authority has crumbled and where an argument over potato chips or a disparaging remark about a cat can lead to murder or suicide.”

As is the case in The Cripple of Inishmaan: News reaches the isolated community that ‘Hollywood’ is coming to the neighbouring Inishmore to film. To escape his mundane existence, the unloved Cripple Billy, who has a passionate desire to find solace in his past, so much wants to be a part of it.

As news of his audacity ripples through the rumour-starved community, the play becomes a merciless portrayal of a world so comically cramped and mean-spirited that hope is an affront to its order and a crazy journey of hope and discovery.

Adam Cook has directed an outstanding cast in a well measured performance that delivers the underlying humour and sadness of people trapped in lives devoid of social and economic advantages.

Jacqy Phillips and Carmel Johnson are sublimely divine as Billy’s adopted Aunts, while Paul Blackwell as Johnnypateenmike, the town gossip, brings much sardonic humour.

Luke Clayson as the daft Bartley and Cat Lever as the feisty Helen provide many a farcical moment, while Patrick Graham as Babbybobby Bennett, Don Barker as the Doctor and Bridget Walters as Mammy present well rounded performances.

However, it is Jamie Harding who delivers an outstanding performance as Cripple Billy. In an exposition of a crippled individual with an active mind, Harding manages to extract a temperate amount of sympathy from all concerned, even in the face of adversity.

Ailsa Paterson’s revolving set of rustic interiors and arced by remnants of a shipwreck, works well allowing the action to freely move between each scene, all subtly lit by Gavin Swift’s lighting design. Stuart Day’s lush score evokes memories of a bygone Celtic era.

While not a happy ending, Adam Cook has combined all the necessary elements to bring a fascinating story to life and a fitting end to the 2008 season.

The Cripple of Inishmaan
State Theatre Company of South Australia, Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide
Tuesday 11 November 2008. General Performance. Review by Rohan Shearn
Season continues to 22 November 2008. Bookings: BASS - 131 246