Like a vintage wine, Martin McDonagh's The Lonesome West has improved with age, even in the mere four years of its existence.
It first saw the stage-light in Galway in 1997, and went on to repeat that memorable success in London, Broadway and other capitals. Oddly enough, Irish revivals have been scarce, but the production now at the Gaiety handsomely makes up for that deficiency.
On this second viewing, the author's brilliance is more evident than ever. His four characters are real people drowning in the incestuous stew of a small Connemara town.
If he focuses on the grotesque aspects of their lives and personalities, it is because life may often be seen more clearly through one window than from many. The laughter he stimulates is suffused with sadness.
At the centre are two bachelor brothers, Coleman and Valene, who have lived in each other's pockets all their lives, building up resentments that easily turn to hatred and violence. Their exchanges and eccentric ways are hilarious, but the destructive undertow is frightening.
A young priest is impaled on the horns of self-doubt and alcoholism, unable to exercise any authority. Girleen, a tough young woman, has heart beneath her brash exterior; but what to with it in this wasteland?
In a relatively long play of nearly three hours, the action never flags. Its flavour is illustrated in a prolonged scene in the second act in which the brothers, challenged by the priest, attempt to reconcile.
A litany of revelations and mutual apologies ensues, opening old wounds and exploding into the unexpected. It is a set-piece of comic genius that touches nerves.
The actors are altogether superb. Brian F. O'Byrne and Maoliosa Stafford are the brothers, Tom Murphy the priest and Dawn Bradfield the girl, and together they create a unique blend of tragedy and hilarity.
Garry Hynes's clued-in direction channels their exceptional talents, with Francis O'Connor's set design and Ben Ormerod's lighting, into a production that has it all. Don't miss it.
(Runs to 29th September; booking at 01677 1717)