The Abbey Theatre came down to the backwoods of Kerry two weeks ago to showcase Seán O’Casey’s tragicomedic masterpiece The Plough and the Stars in Siamsa Tíre Theatre. I first became aware of Seán O’Casey while doing a module on radical Irish politics in university. I thought he was an engaging character and I made him the subject of my BA history mini-thesis and for this reason I was particularly interested in seeing a production of one his plays when the opportunity presented itself.

                The Plough and the Stars focuses on the lives of a Dublin working class community caught in the middle of 1916 Rising. Instead of eulogizing the rebels of 1916, O’Casey focused on the devastating effect the Rising had on the city’s poor, who become fearful spectators in their own homes as the Dublin streets turn into a battlefield. O’Casey depicts the Dublin working class as victims of two wars: the First World War and the 1916 Rising. The working class soldiers in both conflicts are shown to be victims of the machinations of men who do not care about the lives of their subordiantes. This point is underlined when a British Tommy comes into Mrs Gogan’s home in search of some rebels. The Tommy gets into a dispute with the Young Covey, an enthusiastic communist, who argues that the working class soldiers should not have fired on the rebels or taken part in the First World War. The Tommy responds that he is also a socialist but he insists that a man must also defend his country. Here we see the great internationalist disappointment that was the First World War; many socialists on the eve of the Great War held out hope that the workers would ignore their master’s appeals to nationalism and refuse to fight. In this scene the Rising is shown to be a repeat of the tragedy of 1914, where working men are made to fight for the benefit of their ‘betters’. The men who fight are not the only ones affected by the tragedy of war, we see how their families at home also suffer: both Nora Clitheroe (whose husband takes part in the Rising) and Mrs Gogan (whose unionist son joined the army at the start of World War I) are at breaking point because of the fear that their family members will be killed in battle. In the face of this slaughter O’Casey states that the working class must forget their differences and instead rely on each other in a spirit of solidarity because the bourgeois cannot be depended on to look after their interests.

                The set design in the play is highly impressive and effectively conjures up an image of the tenements in early twentieth century Dublin. The most interesting set design was the one which was used in the street scenes.  In these scenes a tenement building is represented by a back drop which has a huge period photo of an actual Dublin slum printed on the cloth.  The backdrop has a rectangular piece cut out where a tenement window should have been and this allowed the characters ‘inside’ the building to look out the ‘window’ and interact with the characters below on the street. I also liked the stage curtain which drawn between the intervals. It was a dirty coffee-stained brown colour and this emphasised the dirt and squalor of the tenements. The indoor scenes also display an impressive degree of stagecraft,the set designer did excellent work in recreating the dire conditions in which the Dublin poor lived. We see the spare and rudimentary conditions which were characteristic of Dublin working class homes.  The choice of wardrobe was also highly impressive. The period costumes where highly detailed and well made especially the various military and quasi-military uniforms which are present throughout the play.

               

                The acting in this production was top notch with special praise due to Kelly Campbell  who played Nora Clitheroe and Joe Hanley who played by Fluther Good.  Campbell displayed quite an impressive range in her depiction of Nora who over the course of the play goes from a stable, dignified and aspiring woman to a crazed wreck. Her descend into madness is the main source of tragedy in the play. Hanley’s depiction of the rogue Fluther elicited some of the strongest laughs from the audience. As the play progresses Fluther displays a stiffer courage than first impressions would suggest.  The fact that Hanley was able to seamlessly change from a clown to a much more serious character is a credit to his acting ability.

                To sum up the Abbey Theatre’s Production of the Plough and the Stars is an excellent adaption. The comedy was well timed and boisterous, while the tragic elements in the play are sombre and sobering.  Despite the plays long length (three hours) the play stays engaging throughout and I would highly recommend me it to anyone who is looking for an enjoyable way to pass the time.