MAURICE O’Sullivan takes the director’s chair for Torch Players’ latest, a full blooded rendition of ‘The Cripple of Inismaan’. This Martin McDonagh lamping of the ‘Man of Aran’ experience will open at Belltable on Tuesday March 1 and run the five days to Saturday 5, 8pm curtain.
Trust McDonagh to kick a hole through a construct and shovel in all hell and damnation. He’s not much of a one for redemption, having more fun breaking bad but ‘The Cripple of Inismaan’ is his softest dig yet.
We feel for Billy, who is accepted for who he is, and come to realise that we too are wizened and tied, one way or another.
For this ‘Cripple of Inismaan’, O’Sullivan looks to his faithful. From Katie Dowling on the press bench, we hear that Mary Harvey, Peter Hayes, Mícháel O Dubhgaill, Dan Mooney, Edel Heany are assorted villagers on the Island. Newcomers: James Corr is cast as Cripple Billy, Oisín Gogarty as Bartley.
“The script was decided in October and cast. Rehearsals began in January, so that will be eight weeks before opening of 160 per cent commitment,” Katie made clear. “The majority of action takes place in Billy’s aunts’ shop, Eileen (Heaney) and Mammy O’Dughal (Harvey) who are not really his aunts but have always cared for him”.
Some epiphany triggers a voyage to the wondrous US of A for the Crippled one. He is an orphan in life, metaphorically at least, and he wants to know more. This journey of a lost soul to …what exactly? drives the action.
Billy returns to Inismaan.
“As deep and dark as the play is,” Torch Players warn, “it is very comical on stage at the same time”.
This is a team to be trusted with what is fragile, what is funny. Last year’s ‘Cuckoo’s Nest’ lifted us out of it and black humour is a welcome rip through comfort. I’m up for this Cripple and Co.
