The play ‘Agreement’ by Owen McCafferty earned universal acclaim following its premiere at Belfast’s Lyric Theatre in 2023. After a successful stint in New York, its triumphant return to Ireland was part of Dublin Theatre Festival, maintaining high praise throughout.
In spite of centring on the complexity of the multi-party agreement signed in Belfast on 10th April 1998, this theatrical portrayal of the intense final days of the Good Friday talks is unexpectedly exhilarating. Tony Blair (played by Martin Hutson), presented as a supposed rescuer, launches his charm offensive, quickly finding the high-stress confrontations and passionate disputes wiping the permanent grin from the featured British Prime Minister’s face.
In the Unionist corner stands David Trimble (interpreted by Ruairi Conaghan), leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, who appears both besieged and stubborn. Terrified by potential interference from the south, collaboration with Irish Republicans, or any shift from the status quo, he flat out refuses to converse with Gerry Adams (represented by Aaron McCusker) of Sinn Féin, let alone concede to the demand for the liberation of all political detainees within a year.
The fraught factions are overseen by the sagacious US senator, George Mitchell (portrayed by Sean Kearns) and the cunning tea lady cum British Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Mo Mowlam (brought to life by Andrea Irvine).
In the midst of this, the tireless John Hume (played by Dan Gordon) advocates for a “new dawn”. This is a sentiment that may rile those who have been closely following the events at Stormont throughout the last two decades.
Upon returning from his mother’s burial, Bertie Ahern (played by Ronan Leahy) introduces constitutional changes to the table. As the Taoiseach, he shares an emotionally charged scene with Mowlam. Westenra’s fervent direction coupled with Quinn’s energetic choreography sees desks swiftly manoeuvred around the stage amidst gripping scenes. Innovative uses of a sky window and re-imagined historical images are employed by video designer Eoin Robinson.
Key figures such as Ian Paisley Snr of the Democratic Unionists and loyalist paramilitaries are deftly invoked through smart news broadcasts (courtesy of Jonathan Blake and Ann-Marie Foster) and precise meeting minutes performed by Adams.
Lighting by Mary Tumelty alongside Conleth Hill’s vocals transform Bill Clinton, the US president, into a figure straddling both saint and provactive sex hotline entity.
McCafferty, an esteemed playwright, excels in exposing light-hearted facets and common quirks even in the bleakest situations. His writing teases out stereotypes: archetypal unionists, patrician Brits and cantankerous republicans. Admirers of the TV shows ‘The Thick of It’ and ‘Succession’ will be well entertained.
The challenge for the cast is to capture the spirit of historical figures who were prominently recognised from 25 years ago. Rather than focusing on exact replication through prosthetics, they concentrate on the soul of each character, and they achieve their objective.
The play ‘Agreement’ will continue its run at the Gate as a part of the Dublin Theatre Festival until Sunday, October 27th.