FOUR STARS
A stunning revival of
Sean O’Casey’s anti war play The Silver Tassie is now on at the
National Theatre.
It tells the story of
one young man, Harry Heegan, a football hero in his hometown of
Dublin, who has just celebrated the team’s latest victory. All too
soon though, Harry and his fellow team members are sent off to war.
Throughout the course
of the play we see Harry’s transformation from a young man full of
youth and vigour, with a girlfriend and his whole life to look
forward to maimed in both mind and body by the war.
Eventually he returns
to Dublin, not as a hero but as a man pitied by his friends and
family and to add insult to injury his girlfriend has gone off with
his best friend.
The entire cast is
fantastic but special mention must go to the staging which is
amazing. This is particularly so in the second act when the set
transforms itself from Dublin tenement building to war zone complete
with some of the most amazing visual and sound effects.
This act is performed
mostly in song and it is not only incredibly poignant but mesmerising
in its intensity.
Ronan Raftery is superb
as Harry, brilliantly portraying his transition from hero to a
fragile and damaged young man whose life has been totally destroyed.
Through Harry we see how the war has changed everyone and everything
in different but equally terrible ways.
However, despite the
underlying sadness and horror of what war does, the play is actually
full of humour. This is beautifully illustrated in Aidan McArdle as
Harry’s father and Stephen Kennedy as Simon Norton, the hilarious
old codgers who bicker and chat while their sons fight in a war far
away.
And Judith Roddy is
excellent as the bible-bashing Susie Monican who transforms into a
bit of a flirt when she takes on the mantle of nurse in the hospital
to treat the war wounded.
The Silver Tassie is at
the National Theatre until July 3. Tickets from £15. Call the box
office on 020 7452 3000.
No comments:
Post a Comment