The show opens with a downpour of rain, drenching
the front of the stage and splattering any viewer unfortunate enough to be sat
in the front row. It’s an interesting touch and a well done one at that.
But if metaphors were ever apparent (in whatever
way you may view a downpour of rain),
this would be one that would carry itself throughout the entirety of Martin
McDonagh’s The Beauty Queen of Leenane.
Immediately afterwards we are introduced to two of
the play’s four central characters – the old and somewhat senile Mags (played
by the wonderful Nora Connolly), and her daughter, the love-starved (and
sex-starved, if you will) Maureen (Michele Moran).
Before even a line of dialogue passes between the
two, we are aware of the rising tension in the room. It is quite obvious to the
audience that the relationship that these two women share isn’t quite what you
would expect from the regular mother-daughter combo. The show’s two hours keeps
us entertained with the constant banter and bickering between the two.
The majority of the play takes place in the living
area in the house that Maureen and her mother share. While tightly knit, the
stage design doesn't do much to amplify any of the conflicts between the
characters. This was disappointing to say the least, as this was a feature that
could have been well used to compliment the claustrophobia that Maureen must
deal with as a result of her mother’s over-bearing presence.
The Dooley brothers, Ray (Andrew Macklin) and Pato
(Stephen Hogan) add a welcome dose of comedy and drama (respectively) outside
of the mother-daughter pairing. Ray offers laughs-a-plenty in his seemingly
aggravated nature and is easily the star of the show (that is, if you can manage
his accent bordering on the tinges of being Welsh).
However, and with the exception of Ray’s scenes, I
found myself not nearly enjoying the comedy as much as I thought I would. As a
fan of McDonagh’s works in film (particularly In Bruges and Seven Psychopaths)
I did go into this expecting it to a bit of belly-slapper.
But where a great deal of the audience was
laughing at the interaction between Mags and Maureen, I often found myself
forcing a smile. Every moment had the potential to be as hilarious as the scenes
involving Ray, but I couldn’t help but feel as if they fell a bit flat more
often than not.
Outside of the comedy it is the story and the constant
momentum that it breeds that carries the play through to its unpredictable and
satisfying end. Scene after scene further raises the tensions and conflicts and
I found myself sitting on the edge of my seat during the climatic final
moments.
Verdict:
whilst entertaining and extremely well acted, it leaves behind a lot of
potential to be much funnier than it actually is.
Rating:
3/5
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