This will become a cult classic
Siblings Stephen (Brian Gleeson) and Billie (Rosie Sheehy) continually bicker as they prepare a feast for the visit of their blind uncle Pierre (Seán McGinley), a former priest coming back to the rundown rural cottage that he grew up in. This sets up the bickering between everyone who populates this ensemble piece, writes Michael Holland.
Conor McPherson directs his own play, The Brightening Air, about myth, religion and – what I see as – a normal dysfunctioning family. He is the best man for the job because nobody else could have known what he wanted from this script that mixes magic with the mundane minutiae of life.
Lydia(Hannah Morrish), a sister-in-law is helping out; a sad-faced woman mourning the death of her marriage to Dermot (Chris O’Dowd) who turns up, not thinking his estranged wife would be there, with Freya(Aisling Kearns) – a girlfriend half his age.
Throw in the sex-starved ex-priest’s carer Elizabeth(Derbhle Crotty) who has history with Stephen, and local man Brendan (Eimhin Fitzgerald Doherty) who has had previous fumblings in the ‘covert’ with Billie, and is currently getting closer to Freya, (Dermot’s Girlfriend) then all you need at this crazy old farmhose is a flock of chickens on the loose. Hold the front page… The chickens are on the loose.
McPherson deftly directs these multiple stories into something quite mesmerising. At the same time drawing out excellent characterisations by an accomplished cast, and even though there were perhaps too many people involved, there was nobody I would want to take out of this fantastical equation.
Of course, for all the backstories to emerge via private conversation, there is a lot of getting people on and off the stage to allow that to happen., and there are only so many doors to use without this becoming a farce.
But exit and enter they do, allowing us to discover: Lydia wants to give Stephen £500 to fetch magic water from the magic well that will make Dermot love her again; Brendan loves Billie (unrequited); Dermot has an ulterior motive of moving Stephen and Billie out so the family house can be sold, and the old priest wants to move back in… Obviously, nobody is actually happy in this mess, and, yes, there are other dastardly deeds going on and it becomes a little confusing when a miracle occurs, but there are some great comic lines considering they are such a miserable bunch, several poignant moments of sadness as most of them get an emotional breakdown monologue to get us back on their side, and The Brightening Air will become a cult classic because we left there helping each other over the various hurdles of confusion, while at the same time knowing we had seen a very special piece of work.
Old Vic, The Cut, SE1 until June 14th. Admission: £13 – £77.
Booking and full details: www.oldvictheatre.com
