BWW Reviews: THE CRIPPLE OF INISHMAAN at the Kennedy Center

It was just a week ago I commended the Shakespeare Theatre Center for bringing the Scottish National Theatre production of Black Watch to the Baltimore/Washington area.

Well, I must do it again.  Thank you Kennedy Center for bringing this incredible production of The Cripple of Inishmaan.  This is a co-production of Galway's Druid Theatre and New York's Atlantic Theater Company and if you can make it this week, you are in for a real treat.

I first saw this Martin McDonagh play at Baltimore's Everyman Theatre in 2006 and was thoroughly impressed with their production directed by Artistic Director Vince Lancisis. I do love this play.  McDonagh's characters are unforgettable.  I can still recall Wil Love's portrayal of JohnnyPateenMike (yes that is his name).  The Druid Theatre's Dermot Crowley is terrific in this role where he delivers orally the news of the day to the small island of Inis Meain (in Gaelic) in exchange for groceries.  His attempts to kill his 90 year old mother Mammy O'Dougal (Nancy E. Carroll) by constantly giving in to her alcohol addiction but is unsuccessful.

The year is 1934.  Billy Craven (a star turn by Tadhg Murphy) is indeed the "cripple" of the play's name and is called "Cripple Billy". His parents died in a boat accident after he was born and he is brought up by his "new" Aunts Kate and Eileen (the hysterical dry Ingrid Craigie and Dearbhla Molloy) who own a grocery store.  An example of their talk - "Too bad Billy will never be kissed". The reply? "Unless it's by someone who's blind." Did I mention that Billy likes to stare at cows?

The sister/brother combination of Slippy Helen (Clare Dune) and Bartley (Laurence Kinlan) bring comic delight to a play that is also poignant. Dune is spectacular and I envision her as a star in the future. She reminds me of a young Kate Burton.

The play's major event concerns the news from JohnnyPateenMike that a Hollywood film is coming to the island of Inishmore and the inhabitants of Inishmaan are excited to audition.  Their only way to get to Inishmore is through BabbyBobby (Liam Carney) who owns a small boat and "Cripple Billy" has his eyes on going to Hollywood to star in the film. I will not spoil it for you.

Director Garry Hynes does a masterful job in pulling all the right strings with this incredible cast. She in fact founded Druid in 1975.

You may miss some of the language due to the expectEd Strong accents and you'll hear some Irish terms like bullocks, biteen, mingy, fecking, and eejit.

I have to admit I'm a big fan of playwright Martin McDonagh.  His first play opened February 1, 1996 at the Druid Theatre in Galway. It was The Beauty Queen of Leenane which went on to win four Tony Awards in 1998. The Cripple of Inishmaan premiered in 2008 also in Galway played to a three month sold-out Off-Broadway run at the Atlantic Theatre. On January 27, 2011, this production began one of the longest tours by an Irish theater company with a five month tour of the U.S. and Ireland.

The Company returns to Ireland next and then heads to Ann Arbor, MI, Chicago, Los Angeles, Berkely, Philadelphia (May 19-22 at the University of Pennsylvania), Charleston, and New Haven.

Fittingly,Druid's final performance of the tour will be on the island of Inis Meain itself where the play will be performed for the very first time. In fact, the 1934 documentary film "Man of Aran" attempteed to depict the daily life of those living on the Aran islands. So on June 26, 2011, the islanders will gather in a community hall to watch actors playing the islanders who during the course of the play watch a film about the island's people. I do hope there is a documentary film maker to record this event!

I also highly recommend McDonagh's wonderful film "In Bruges" starring Colin Farrell.

My only disappointment is the music by Colin Towns. I'm familiar with his work on the hit British television comedy "Doc Martin" which has a wonderful theme. (I highly recommend the show on WETA Saturday evenings. Just imagine Monk playing a Doctor in Cornwall.)  I  wish he used more Irish themes during the play.

To quote the Everyman Theatre's Lancisi, "McDonagh is one of only a few brilliant comic playwrights writing for the theatre today. His comedy is of a unique brand. Using quick turns of phrases and laughter through violence, he fascinates audiences, makes them laugh, and shocks them with unexpected plot twists all along the way."

For tickets, call 202-467-4600. You can also see video clips of the play at www.kennedy-center.org. Also visit the Druid's website at www.druid.ie/productions/the-cripple-of-inishmaan-2011. Don't miss it. You must hurry. The run ends Saturday, Feb. 12.

For comments, write to cgshubow@broadwayworld.com.

Photo Credit: Robert Day

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