In the final instalment of a trilogy that began in 1990, Dermot Bolger’s play ‘Home, Boys, Home’ stars Shane, an elderly Irish expatriate who doesn’t feel he belongs anywhere on his return to a land that’s drastically different from when he left in the 1980s. Originally inspired to leave by the vibrancy of a Ramones concert and repelled by the monotonous cycle of makeshift jobs, Shane now feels an alien in his home.
The initial part of the trilogy, ‘In High Germany’, depicted the journey of three boyhood friends who departed Ireland in 1988 and found football as a means to stay connected to home. After 14 years from the second act, ‘The Parting Glass’ which narrates the plight of his characters on the night Ireland dropped off from the 2010 World Cup qualifiers due to Thierry Henry’s notorious handball, the audience now witnesses Shane’s homecoming from the Netherlands as a bruised spirit. His life now holds a broken marriage and widowhood with his golden years bereft of familial ties.
After returning to Dublin for a few months, we see him visiting his former favourite pubs in Cabra and Drumcondra, then withdrawing to a rented home in Ongar, a place he likens to a black hole swallowing people. In the production, Ray Yeates skillfully reprises his role, his performance strengthened by Fionnuala Gygax and Donna Anita Nikolaisen, who convincingly portray a range of characters, from a brash drug dealer to an immigrant.
Shane’s monologues interweave with conversations with his contemporaries, showing him as a profoundly fractured man who admits to battling with a new multicultural Ireland, a challenge he seeks to overcome. His life significantly transforms when he encounters a daughter he never knew existed, and a grandson whose promising football future is marked by a burdensome drug debt. Armed with this newfound purpose, Shane aims to face his repressed emotions, aiming to salvage his newfound family and himself, while perhaps offering him a shot at redemption.
‘Home, Boys, Home’ is a poignant, clever play by Bolger, serving as an insightful exploration of family, society and ethics.
In a fusion of nostalgia and today’s realities, “Home, Boys, Home” delivers a potent commentary on family life, societal shifts, and ethical backslide. In this stirring piece, the country and its expats are mourned, whilst simultaneously addressing the gang crimes shaking the foundations of this society. Intertwining his love for soccer and issuing a cautionary note to those at risk of falling through societal gaps, author Bolger delivers a compelling narrative as his characters seek to decipher the path to realising their full potential through their loved ones.
The play establishes a vivid picture of the lost feeling experienced by returned expats: friends haven’t remained stationary, the country’s landscape has been reshaped with fresh buildings and new inhabitants – indicating a country characterised by intense modernisation which comes at a cost for its returning offspring.
Bolger’s thoughtful, touching, and frequently humorous script stands out as the real hero of the play. “The night Ireland was defeated by Macedonia thus leading to our ejection from Euro 2000, was the night I quit smoking,” reveals character Shane. “I was so shattered I thought it would distract me from the withdrawal symptoms.”
Whilst “Home, Boys, Home” doesn’t quite hit the mark, the point of contention isn’t so much its blunders, rather it’s the half-hearted steps. Though Yeates’ remarkable interpretation of Bolger’s dialogue is meticulous, there’s a tendency for the play’s deeply emotional scenes to feel like they exist within an otherwise superficial attempt to grasp magnificence.
The run will continue at the Civic, featuring in the Dublin Theatre Festival, up until Saturday, October 12th.