The first thing that begs to be said about the Abbey’s new play is that Marie Mullen in the lead role of Arina is nothing short of spectacular. The character she plays is a one woman army and Mullen makes you believe every word she utters.
The Last Days of the Reluctant Tyrant, written by Tom Murphy, tells the story of a woman who began life as a poor girl married off to a local well-to-do family. She takes their ailing fortune and turns it around, building a wealthy estate. Arina is a hardened woman, seemingly lacking and pity, remorse or any emotion whatsoever, save contempt. Tyrant examines this woman’s attempt to reconcile the difference between mother and matriarch.
We begin as her ne’er do well son Stephen, played ably by Darragh Kelly, returns to town. This stirs Arina into questioning herself and whether she has made the right decisions throughout her life. After tragic events unfold, she divides her estate and thus begins the painful story of Arina’s declining years, as her sons takes over the family empire.
With recent events - the revelations of the depth of abuses suffered in Irish institutions - Murphy’s play is inextricably linked, whether this was his intention, or if timing was coincidental is hard to say. Religion and The Church are heavily castigated throughout the play, usually in the words and actions of Arina’s vile son Peter, played superbly by Declan Conlon, knifing the heart of old-Irish custom and culture, along with now archaic attitudes to sex and promiscuity.
Tom Piper’s set design is genius. Darragh wrote about the set before, so I won’t labour it, but when combined with the beautiful lighting from Ben Ormond, the stage is at times like a fairytale, while at others it is nightmarish.
The Reluctant Tyrant is flawed too - Stephen’s overly wordy rants are slow to start the play and it isn’t until the second act that the pace quickens. Brendan Conroy as the Bishop and Janice Byrne as Anna, Arina’s grandchild, are more parodies than characters at times. Perhaps a few more performances will help soften the roles. Some characters feel underused - Frank McCusker as the quiet son, Paul, shines when given the scope and the minor characters of Ulita (Ruth McGill) and Kiry (Mick Lally) have little opportunity to make their marks.
But, though sold as a family drama, Tyrant is not an ensemble piece - it is about Arina, and Mullen steals the show. The closing scene is one of the greatest moments I’ve seen on stage. Frightening, thought provoking and exploding with emotion, my heart pounded harder with each line of the closing monologue.
Congratulations to the Abbey and to the director Conall Morrison for staging an engaging drama with some darkly humourous moments. The Last Days of the Reluctant Tyrant runs until Saturday 11th July and tickets are available from the box office 01 87 87 222 or online here.
Yes, yes, yes. Agree. Will write my much thinner review over on mine later but really think it’s well worth the trip.
Was disappointed to see a lack of full house last night though. There were empty seats up in the back 4 or 5 rows. I’m starting to become a real “get out there and support live theatre” zealot
And there-in lies the dichotomy of the entire piece: it’s Arina at her best, her most unapologetic, her most tyrannical, the best use of her character. Removing Mullen’s fabulous performance and taking that last, long, acclamation of defiance and declamation, I have to ask - is it this last bit that makes the play? Would it be as good without it? Is the passion and verve of Mullen’s performance of Arina, her loud declamations and her angry, almost “I will not go gentle into that good night” the point, or has something been lost before? It is, as the lady beside me remarked at the end, whether if it wasn’t shouted, if it would be as good. If it’s all reliant on Arina, then Murphy should have made more of her. She is not a reluctant tyrant - it’s what she’s best at - she reluctantly lets go of control and pays the price. We all do.
Great piece of drama to read, fantastic performances and wonderful set, but it’s the story for me. As much about the middle as the beginning and the end.
Completely agree about the opening speeches from Stephen - I thought - “oh no, here we go” but it turned around very quickly. Absoloutley loved it.
@Darragh - they closing soliloquy had little reflection on the play as a whole for me.
By that stage I already wanted to be on my feet clapping.
What made it for me was hugely the language. I imagine Murphy taking notes for years to gather all those lovely phrases - “I wouldn’t even publish my intentions with God” (or something quite close).
@Rick - It was a Tuesday night after all. And some people had no respect for assigned seating. We came back from the interval and some old guy had taken our seats.
And the set - AMAZING!
***SPOILER***
D, the point at which Arina is at her lowest, a broken woman forced to live in her son’s home, she spends much of her stage time in the background, without any words or interaction. At these moments, the rest of the cast are allowed to shine too. The maid, Vera (a brilliant Eva Bartley), literally goes mad and is the only one capable of standing up to the now tyranical Peter (perhaps a hint that only a mad person could stand up to the old Irish Catholic Church for fear of repercussion).
Yes, Mullen makes the play, but there’s far more to it than simply a one woman piece.
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