IrelandReview

On the Way Out – The New Theatre, Dublin

Reviewer: Emma Devlin

Writer: Vincent Woods

Director: John O’Hare

Maree Kearns has transformed the stage in the New Theatre into a gorgeously desolate abandoned house with what might be one of the best sets of the year so far – something wonderful to gaze upon while you wait for On the Way Out to start. Written by Vincent Woods, it is a short but layered study of a dying town in rural Ireland, where commercial forestry is marching in to bring the place back to nature (though an unnatural nature it may be), told from the perspective of a dying man (Seamus O’Rourke) and one of his sons (Darragh Scannell).

The tempo is slow and steady and the piece is split into two definite halves that mirror each other quite well. We meet O’Rourke when he pops up in the bed to announce that he is still alive, and goes on to wax lyrical about his life in a way that is at times poignant but often rife with tongue in cheek humour that keeps the audience’s energy up. He embodies the role completely with a strong presence and a distinct voice, and his monologue explores his past and his connection with the town, as well as his relationships with different members of his family including the son that sits just outside the house. Scannell takes to the stage from that seat in the second part to loll about the room, drawling cattily about his own past and present and his perception of the town’s future. There is humour here as well but more darkness, more hurt, and a sense of hopeless inevitability.

John O’Hare and Libby Seward have brought some exceptional movement to this piece, watching Roseanne Lynch (the mythical storyteller) move around the stage is one of the highlights of the play, the subtlety and grace are mesmerising to watch and she draws the eye even hidden beneath the bed or in the dark beyond the structure of the house; watch out for her grasping hands that seem to search endlessly for connection to something real. Lynch is magnetic in this role, her range of madness is captivating and cathartic, it’s a stand out performance, even if the connection between her beautifully told tales and the rest of the text may not be clear to see.

There is plenty to recommend On the Way Out; the concept is solid, the marriage of myth and mundanity is interesting, the performances are compelling, and there are some truly noteworthy aspects in the set design and movement, but there is something sluggish that stalls it slightly, though what that is exactly is hard to pinpoint. For fans of something a bit different, who enjoy the full range of dark Irish humour it should prove to be an enjoyable evening.

Runs until 27th July 2024.

The Review's Hub Score

Deep Dark Humour

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The Ireland team is currently under the editorship of Laura Marriott. The Reviews Hub was set up in 2007. Our mission is to provide the most in-depth, nationwide arts coverage online.

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