Fishamble's revival of Deirdre Kinahan's Outrage is a production full of familiar names and faces.
Firstly, there is Jim Culleton, the company's artistic director, known mostly for directing Pat Kinevane's hugely popular one-man shows, for which the pair won an Olivier Award. In fact, the coveted statuette was recently stolen from Fishamble's offices during a break-in, only to be returned a few days later, following a public outcry.
Then there is playwright Kinahan; incredibly productive of late. Her most recent outing, Tempesta, won four and five-star reviews across the board, enjoying a successful run at Rex Ryan's Glass Mask Theatre, and the Cork Midsummer Festival. Prior to that, An Old Song, Half Forgotten ran at The Abbey Theatre, and Landmark's production of The Saviour, starring Marie Mullen, went to The Irish Repertory Theatre in New York.
The cast of Outrage might also ring a bell. There's Mary Murray, most widely known as Janet from Love/Hate. Caitríona Ennis, seen recently as Minnie Powell in Sean O'Casey's The Shadow of a Gunman, which toured extensively. Then there's up-and-comer Naoise Dunbar, yet another Lir Academy graduate, who has worked with the likes of Druid, The Abbey, ANU and Livin' Dred.
Outrage looks at the role played by women during the Irish War of Independence. It centres on a pair of sisters, both equally passionate, albeit with different ways of expressing it. Murray's Nell is extreme in her approach: narrow-minded and not easily swayed. Her younger sister Alice, played by Ennis, is also an ardent supporter of Irish freedom, but uses writing - in the form of a nationalist bulletin - rather than violence, as a means to fight. Then Dunbar's endearing PJ enters the picture, falling deeply in love with Alice, who is at first resistant to his advances.
Initially, the trio share similar hopes and dreams for an independent Ireland. When the Anglo-Irish Treaty is signed, the peaceful harmony of the group is ruptured. Nell rejects the treaty entirely. PJ reluctantly accepts it, believing it gives Ireland a stepping stone towards a republic. Alice is somewhere between the two, leaning towards anti-Treaty, yet feeling slightly removed from the whole debacle, given she and PJ are expecting their first child. The eruption of the Irish Civil War splits the family, and ultimately results in tragedy.
In all honesty, I was in absolutely no form for this play. The prospect of 80 minutes of historical theatre did not bode well after a long day, but I was completely rapt from the second the lights came up. The first thing we see is Maree Kearns' impressive set, which creates an aura of chaos, capturing a country in complete disarray.
Caitriona Ennis truly is a tonic for tiredness, taking to the stage like a tornado, full of vitality. Her charisma and comic timing is undeniable.
Nell is so full-on, so committed to the cause, that she teeters on the edge of being overbearing at times. In the hands of a lesser actor, it might not work, but Murray never oversteps the mark, displaying the character's uncompromising ardour in a cultivated manner. Her performance is quite powerful, and often moving.
Although the three characters have different views, the real achievement in Kinahan's writing is her ability to make us empathise with them all; to understand their contrasting stances on this contentious issue. Praise should be heaped on whoever is responsible for casting, as all of the actors feel perfectly suited to these roles.
With this play, Naoise Dunbar announces himself as one to watch. How he can seamlessly switch between the lovable PJ and the cunning antagonist Finney so convincingly, I really do not know. He has already managed to build up an impressive theatre CV in a very short space of time. Film and TV appearances are sure to follow.
This is a play worth travelling to see.
Outrage is currently on a national tour until the end of November.
Reviewed at
Town Hall Theatre, Galway
October 5, 2024
