Town Hall Theatre, June 10.
When I first started taking an interest in theatre, I distinctly remember someone handing me a copy of Pat Kinevane's play Before, and telling me to read it. A few weeks later, I decided to give it a go, and for the life of me, I could not make head nor tail of it.
Up until that point, I was only familiar with traditional Irish plays, which had linear plots, large casts and tended to be set in either pubs or cottages. Kinevane's intricate one-man show is far removed from this orthodox form.
In June 2019, the play came to the Town Hall in Galway. Looking up at the enormous stage, sparsely adorned with a handful of props and a few flimsy pieces of furniture, I thought to myself: 'How on earth is Kinevane going to entertain me for an hour and a half?' It turned out to be one of my fondest ever theatre memories.
Kinevane has worked with Fishamble for almost 30 years. During that time, he has produced five one-man shows: Forgotten, Silent, Underneath, Before and King.
Now, the argument could be made that all of these plays are a bit ‘samey’. I have been to three of the five plays, and – admittedly - it is easy to mix them up. I read one review which questioned if perhaps Kinevane had gone back to the well once too often. On the other hand, the man is considered by many to be a national treasure who can do no wrong.
Before tells the story of Pontius, a fragile, middle-aged farmer, who has not seen his daughter in 17 years. We find him in Clerys department store on the day of its closure, trying to pick out a present for her ahead of their long-awaited reunion.
During this time, he invites us into his thoughts: the fractured remnants of his past, as well as the uncertain future which lies ahead, a lot of which relies on reconciliation with his estranged child. The play explores the issue of loving fathers being denied access to their children.
It had been six years since I last saw Before, and the only question I was interested in asking was: does it still stand up?
The answer is: yes, absolutely. Kinevane surpasses what I previously believed to be possible for one person to achieve on stage.
To put it plainly: this play has everything. It is comic and tragic; funny and sad. There is music, song and dance. It tugs on the heart strings and is life-affirming - all at once. Denis Clohessy's magnificent score provides an acoustic arena for Pontius to tell, or often sing, his story.
Much like Patrick Swayze in Dirty Dancing, Kinevane takes a hammer to conventional masculinity. Watching the dance scenes, I found myself thinking: 'God, I wish I could move like that.' He exhibits an openness and a willingness to express himself, both verbally and physically, which is manly in a very progressive, contemporary way.
I hope to see Forgotten and Underneath someday soon, although I highly doubt that they will compare to Before.
This is Pat Kinevane at his very best, making it one of my top 10 favourite plays of all time.
