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By
Natalie Anglesey
Published Mon 21 May 2007 at 14:50
Award-winning, Irish playwright, Conor McPherson has not only won critical
acclaim but appears to have touched both a temporal and spiritual vein within
audiences world-wide.
Dawn Allsopp’s wooden set is convincingly located at the top of a Dublin
house and during a succession of episodic scenes, Babych points up the recurring
themes of guilt, loneliness, despair and eventual hope.
The cast of four actors do not miss a beat. Paul McLeary as Ian, the ex-priest
turned therapist, is believable in his confusion of identity and purpose.
Mairead Conneelly is Neasa, his devastated ex-partner whilst Conor Michael
Ryan hits the right note in the small but important role of Laurence, the
male prostitute.
But the key to the success of this production is an extraordinary performance
from George Irving as John, who seeks counselling about the ghostly visitations
of his dead wife. His spell-binding confession of his personal experiences
leads the audience through his own despair and repair. It is a charismatic
performance.
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