Religion is a fundamental form of control and constantly manipulated into whatever cause best fits our political agenda. Both Ireland and Scotland have long suffered at the hand of harsh religious doctrine and this season the Lyceum seems to be focussing on both oppressed nations, with Confessions and its address of religious fanaticism and Calvinism and now Beauty Queen, which sags under the weight of the Catholic repression that governs the characters.
It’s nice to be able to do a play that’s really rich in language and so bitter and funny at the same time, its got a really beautiful mix actually.
Written by Oscar nominated Martin McDonagh (In Bruges) and first performed in 1996, Beauty Queen takes place in a small village in Galway, where 40-year-old spinster and mentally unstable Maureen (Cara Kelly) looks after her manipulative 70-year-old mother Mag (Nora Connolly). In their claustrophobic kitchen the pair bicker and squabble until construction worker Pato (John Kazek) turns up and offers some romantic hope of escape for the trapped Maureen. Then McDonagh’s signature violence takes centre stage as mother and daughter fight it out.
It’s not the first time this show has crossed the Channel given the many cultural affinities between Scotland and Ireland and it’s the current heat on both countries fight for independence from Westminster that joins them now as ever. Luckily with three of the cast coming from west coast Ireland, there’s a good connection to the area so there will be a good level of realism in their performances. Despite runs at the Tron and Bruton theatre, director Tony Cownie (Copenhagen) says “I’m glad I haven’t seen the show before, I think it’s always better to go on a voyage of discovery with a piece.” Not shying away from the notoriously difficult playwright, Cownie seems to reveal in the challenge: “It’s nice to be able to do a play that’s really rich in language and so bitter and funny at the same time, its got a really beautiful mix actually.” Perhaps what’s most interesting in this piece though is the discussion it opens on the impact of religion on our ability to engage in and enjoy sexual relationships. By preventing Maureen from being with Pato, the fights between the pair become symbolic of not only the war between IRA and Loyalists, but also the repressive power of society’s portrayal of sex. Balancing the violence and comedy in the script is a tough task; “we’re looking through it for absolute detail, there’s not a moment on stage that can’t be accounted for.” A stimulating and intriguing play with plenty of laughs before the torture sets in. An interesting and bold choice from the Lyceum.
Showing from 19th Feb – 13th Mar@7.45
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