Review: LITTLE THING BIG THING at 59E59 A Poignant and Excellent Play

"I will do every little thing to find the big thing."

-Little Thing, Big Thing

Little Thing, Big Thing is a captivating show now at the 59E59 Theaters for a limited engagement through September 27th. Written by Donal O'Kelly and directed by Jim Culleton, the play stars Sorcha Fox and Donal O'Kelly. This two-hander features excellent staging and outstanding performances.

Be sure to check the program in advance for the "Glossary of Terms." It will help you to identify the Irish idioms so you can best understand the O'Kelly's well-crafted, fast-paced dialogue.

Little Thing, Big Thing has an intriguing, tense plot that revolves around two very distinctive characters. In Nigeria, a frightened child puts an old roll of film into the hands of teacher, Sister Martha before she returns to her homeland of Ireland. Larry has recently been released from prison after serving a long sentence and he is down on his luck. When he robs a convent outside of Dublin, he meets Sister Martha. As they travel by van to Dublin together, they confront a series of odd events that are at times humorous, but with dangerous implications. The film roll that Martha carries attracts the urgent attention of some very powerful and ambitious people, including individuals from the Scarab Oil Company. As the events unfold onstage, a bond is forged between the odd couple.

Sorcha Fox and Donal O'Kelly deliver brilliant performances. Fox is ideal in the role of Sister Martha, intelligent and thoughtful, yet tough and resilient. O'Kelly masters his portrayal of Larry, a contentious, foul-mouthed sort who reveals a true sense of kindness and morality. Both of these accomplished actors also play a number of roles that support the story. Fox and O'Kelly make their character transitions seamlessly.

As Larry states in the play, "Little things have the power to be big things." The unlikely allies prove that is indeed true. Little Thing, Big Thing is a poignant play that you will return to again and again in your mind.

The creative team has done a wonderful job of bringing the show to life with lighting and set design by John Comiskey, costume design by Maria Tapper and sound design by Carl Kennedy. And the production team includes Stage Manager, Rebecca Monroe, Producer, Marketa Dowling, Dramaturg, Gavin Kostick and Relighter, Michael O'Connor.

Little Thing, Big Thing is presented by Fishamble: The New Play Company, an award winning, internationally acclaimed Irish theatre company that is dedicated to the discovery, development and production of new work. Little Thing, Big Thing is part of Origin's 1st Irish 2015, New York's Annual festival of Irish theatre that at venues across New York. For a full list of events, visit www.1stIrish.org.

Little Thing, Big Thing runs 80 minutes without an intermission. 59E59 Theaters are located at 59 East 59th Street between Park and Madison Avenues. Tickets are $35 and $24.50 (for 59E59 Members). To purchase tickets, call Ticket Central at 212.279.4200 or visit www.59e59.org.

Photo Credit: Pat Redmond

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