Landmark's original production of The Approach debuted at the Project Arts Centre in Dublin in 2018 to great acclaim. Although split into four parts, the play effectively consists of three conversations between three different characters: Anna and Denise, who are feuding sisters, and Cora, their mutual friend, caught in the middle. The cause of the quarrel is, of course, a man; one which Anna claims Denise stole from her.
Structurally, the story plays out in a circle, rather than a straight line. As we 'approach' what appears to be the end, we realise that the playwright has cleverly brought us right back to the beginning, leaving us caught in a never-ending loop of ruptures and reconciliation.
This revival of Mark O'Rowe's play marks SamePage Theatre's 10th production. The Galway-based company exudes a wonderful youthful energy, yet they tend to almost exclusively perform established plays. In comparison, Eva's Echo Theatre, another relatively new theatre company anchored in Galway, appear to take more risks with new work, which might not necessarily always pay off, but is an admirable pursuit nonetheless.
Then there is the issue of younger actors playing older characters. The original production of The Approach featured Cathy Belton, Derbhle Crotty and Aisling O’Sullivan, who are significantly older than Muireann Hogan (Anna ), Gráinne Tierney White (Denise ) and Michelle Palmer (Cora ). The result is two women in their twenties discussing the prospect of being too old to have children, which is just not believable.
On the other hand, this cast boasts plenty of talent and promise. Hogan and White prove themselves more than capable of delivering comedic moments, of which there are few in this splay. Palmer is by far the most impressive, precisely because of her restraint: her understanding that less is more, and her ability to keep things simple, resonate.
It can be difficult for performers to gauge whether or not an audience is enjoying a drama. Less experienced actors often resort to chasing laughs in order to win perceived validation. But in the case of this staging of The Approach, one feels that if things had been toned down a bit, it might have worked better.
For instance, the scene where Denise stares off into space, demonstrating that she could not care less about Cora's problems, is used as a device to make the audience laugh, but it comes at the cost of the character appearing to be a borderline sociopath. This has knock-on effects in later scenes.
The major achievement was the packed house at The Town Hall Studio, which apparently was the case on all three nights. I was last in the door, and just about managed to get a seat. This is the third SamePage production I have seen, and it is abundantly clear that strong progress is being made. Things are definitely moving in the right direction.
More importantly, it is refreshing to know that there are still young people around Galway who are willing to give it a go. But perhaps now is the time for SamePage to roll the dice on a new play that says something about their own generation in Ireland?
