Writer: Niamh McGrath
Director: Seamus O’Rourke
Niamh McGrath’s Gombean is a one-woman whirlwind, currently being hosted at Bewley’s Café Theatre for the Dublin leg of its national tour. Written and performed by McGrath, it’s the story of a woman wrestling with her past, her present, her community, and herself, all while gearing up for a real wrestling match in the hopes of saving her somewhat failing coffee van business. Grace O’Malley, or GOM as her initials spell, has arrived at a standstill in her life; disappointed with what she has achieved so far, disillusioned with her town and her prospects within it, and despairing of everyone around her, she is relatable in her belief that there is more to life for her than this, and in her inability to see that it is herself that is standing so firmly in her own way.
The production makes great use of the small stage, and it’s clear that a lot of work has gone into the set design, with the purpose built Gombean Coffee hut and the railings that double for the ropes of the ring towards the end of the hour. McGrath is also a very physical actor, bounding around the space portraying different characters, as well as running, wrestling, and getting affectionate with her inflatable sparring partner – there is no space left unused. The lighting design by Philip McIntyre, as well as the use of sound and music, is well thought out and used to good effect to differentiate time and place as the show traverses several locations and multiple days.
McGrath’s writing is impressive; the tone is light and fun, and quite witty at times, and she creates distinct characters that feel relatively fleshed out, which is no easy feat since she herself is playing them all and at fairly breakneck speed to boot. As an actor, she is full of energy and shows great skill in taking on all of these roles and keeping them separate and believable. However, this is a show that might benefit from slowing down a little, as at times it felt frantic rather than flowing, and many of the jokes were lost in the throwaway delivery required for fitting such a lot of content into only one hour. All in all, it’s a colourful vignette of west coast small town life with a twist, and an enjoyable lunch time cultural activity – certainly worth a look!
Runs until July 8th 2023.
The Review's Hub Score
One Woman Whirlwind
