“Molly Sweeney” screened at the Pavilion Theatre in Dún Laoghaire has received a four-star review. The 1994 piece by Brian Friel masterfully explores the complexities of blindness and could essentially perform well as a radio play. Not to downplay the role of Ciaran Bagnall, who crafted the elegant set and dynamic lighting for this Decadent Theatre Company reprisal.
The narrative of the play, like “Dancing at Lughnasa”, is purely linguistically expressed. There’s a chaotic dance scene that’s only articulated through the fervid description of the main character, Molly. This Paris Monclar style of scripting, where the actors deliver isolated monologues and don’t have direct interactions on stage, is not unusual for Friel. A similar approach was used in his work “Faith Healer” 15 years earlier.
Director Andrew Flynn’s version seats the characters on unique chairs forming a triangle shape. At the triangle’s core and back (when not performing), Genevieve Hulme-Beaman, who plays Molly, exhibits a savoury and melodious touch. Denis Conway portrays the perhaps washed-up eye surgeon, Dr Rice, whereas Manus Halligan plays Molly’s hobby-driven husband, Frank.
The audience gets to know that Molly has been blind since childhood. Her starting monologue depicts her experiences of growing up without the aid of light and colour. The background delivers a beautiful blend of the single perspective and the dualistic view: a garden surrounded by a wall set against a blurry marine backdrop. We’re in Co Donegal, as would be expected of a Brian Friel performance.
The Oliver Sacks essay “To See and Not See” was the source of inspiration for this story, in which Dr Rice and Frank decide to turn Molly into their project. Halligan’s interpretation of Frank as a passionate, yet myopic, character is convincing. Frank might have channeled his energy into beekeeping or Ethiopian issues. However, guided by Rice, he convinces his wife to consider a life-changing procedure. The Brian Friel remount of “Molly Sweeney” boasts strong acting and sophisticated staging. But it’s also concluded that a play covering the Good Friday agreements should not have such an enjoyable production.
“Grace” powerfully portrays the intricate manner in which an autistic girl navigates life. “Starjazzer” is a stirring, original adaptation by Anu, blending the struggles of a laden-down O’Casey heroine and her equally mistreated granddaughter. Friel expertly encapsulates the blind person’s intimate acquaintance with the obscure. She empathises with the sighted swimmers who find it impossible to entirely succumb to the encasing sea and, as her operation draws near, she dreads the onset of a nostalgic longing, an evocative metaphor. Following the procedure, she experiences solitude.
Halligan and Conway’s proprietary attitude over their experimental subject transforms the drama into a metaphysical Pygmalion. Challenged with the role of an assertive yet ultimately wounded Eliza, Hulme-Beaman is up for it. Accentuating the nuances of the northwest accent, the actor embraces lines that, unlike those of the men, are tinged with poetry.
Despite the play’s commendable concepts and the sophistication of its current setting, it appears somewhat static. It remains grounded in Donegal terrain, trailing the recent otherworldly Lughnasa at the Gate. It occasionally appears heavy with its own research, however the questions it poses will leave few unaffected. As someone rightly mentions, “Understanding cannot be equated to seeing.”
The play can be seen at the Pavilion as part of the Dublin Theatre Festival, concluding on Sunday, October 6th.