The structure which Bernard Farrell has given his new comedy is reminiscent of his first successful work. Four people (or, maybe, more) are locked into a confined space, whence they can be released only by the caretaker who admitted them in the first place. In the constraints of their confinement, they react largely from within their own individual neuroses or pretences, often with painfully hilarious results and serious undertones. Echoes of the excellent I Do Not Like Thee, Dr Fell abound at every turn of this seriously farcical new play which provides a very engaging and enjoyably rewarding evening of good entertainment.
The situation is different, of course, from the therapy session which provided the basis for Dr Fell. Here Larry Sinnott, an executive with a building society, has arranged a money-raising stunt to benefit a charity committed to alleviating famine in Africa. He (a control freak seriously out of control played frenetically by Mark Lambert) and his complaisant middle-class wife (very nicely observed by the very much under control Lynn Cahill) are to be sponsored to spend a night in an allegedly haunted house in their native Carrickmines, along with Colm, a local schoolteacher on a seemingly permanent career break with a head-full of pretentious waffle (played beautifully smoothly by Michael Devaney), and the apparently feather-headed Aisling from the local hairdressing boutique. This character is one of the best comic creations that even Mr Farrell has ever penned and Fiona Glascott is heart-wrenchingly funny in her superb portrayal of she who cannot stop herself blurting out what others might not wish to hear.
The haunting, which might happen at 11.20 p.m. or maybe midnight, is to be recorded for dissemination on Gerry Ryan's radio show the following morning and this adds a neat sense of the surreal to the fears and foibles of the quartet who are being sponsored by Mr Ryan's listeners. The caretaker, with his lovely Willesden accent, is clearly disapproving of the whole enterprise and is suitably gruffly played by Fred Pearson.
Ben Barnes has directed the comedy well enough to make his contribution virtually imperceptible, and has missed none of the seriousness of the underlying neurotic humanity of the characters. Tom Piper has provided a setting of a Carrickmines drawing room which could be the twin of one in which this reviewer recalls having afternoon tea one day in his childhood, and Rupert Murray's lighting is, in terms of both illumination and atmosphere, well-nigh perfect. Don't miss this hilariously haunting play.
Plays until November 20th (booking at 01-8744085)
