Writer: Gabriel Byrne
Director: Lonny Price
Walking with Ghosts is an evocative and, at times, haunting memoir of the life of Gabriel Byrne, written and performed by the man himself in what is, incredibly, his West End debut. Over the course of two and a half hours, he takes the audience through the events in his life that have brought him to where he is now. It’s a long time for a one-man show, but from the moment he appears, the passing of time becomes inconsequential. He’s a consummate storyteller, moving the audience wherever he wishes, like leaves in a breeze.
He begins by recalling a dream he had while in New York. It left such an impression on him that he soon found himself returning home, to where the dream took place, Dublin. There he revisited the ghosts of his past – the streets in which he used to play, the people he knew, the places he could go. He describes himself as feeling like a stranger in his own past, something of a nod to the lonely and vulnerable child he was, and in many ways still is.
His story is heart-warming at times, and heart-breaking at others. Each incident, each scar, is described in such breath-taking honesty and unrelenting lyricism that while watching, one cannot help but feel part of something almost ethereal.
The incidents themselves are such that his willingness to share them with an audience is a mark of his character. It is a privilege to be party to such retellings, still raw and painful so many years later. To mention them explicitly would feel like betraying a confidence, such is their nature, but no matter how harrowing or difficult, he navigates them with supreme dexterity.
This is not to say the show isn’t devoid of light though, because there is plenty. At times it is very funny, hearty and wholesome. It is perhaps yet more proof of his masterful storytelling that he is able to find such light in the dark and bring the audience with him throughout.
The direction by Lonny Price is perfect for the show. Subtle and precise, it ensures the energy is constantly moving and reshaping throughout. Excellent sound (Sinéad Diskin) and lighting/set design (Sinéad McKenna), mark each section of the show in a sympathetic fashion, supporting the storytelling while not distracting from it. It is a fine balance, but very well judged.
Byrne paints himself as a passenger for much of his life, buffeted about wherever life threw him. But the truth of it is that while, vulnerable and, at times, scared, there is an inner fortitude that holds strong – and therein is the heart of the show. For while so many of the events he recalls are so hard to hear, throughout lies a thread of hope, teaching us the importance of reconciling the past to embrace the future.
Runs until 17 September 2022 before transferring to New York
