Wednesday night, with thanks to David McCadden at the Abbey I was lucky enough to see The Seafarer in the Abbey Theatre.
It’s Christmas Eve and Sharky has returned to Dublin to look after his irascible, ageing brother who’s recently gone blind. Old drinking buddies Ivan and Nicky are holed up at the house too, hoping to play some cards. With the arrival of a stranger from the distant past, the stakes are raised ever higher. In fact, Sharky may be playing for his very soul…
In the midst of this raucous tale of drinking, craic and card playing, there is a tender story of a family, and of redemption. So, pull up a chair alongside Sharky, Nicky, Ivan and co and enjoy a great story, well told.
The Seafarer takes place in the home of Richie on Christmas Eve. His brother Sharky, played by the talented Liam Carney, as suggested above is home for Christmas and to help his recently blinded brother out. Richie, on the other hand, is an ungrateful, heavy-drinking slob but with a spirited sense of fun. He, played by Maeliosa Stafford, and his friend Ivan, played superbly by Don Wycherly, provide most of the comic relief and humourous moments in The Seafarer.
Sharky is a much more serious, unsettled and disturbed man who is treated for all the world by his brother as the hired help with funny results. You can almost feel the tension rising in him.
The set itself on the Abbey stage is fantastic. They have built the upstairs and downstairs of the little house, a living area (the main part of the stage), a kitchen, a bathroom, back door, front door, stairs and without the stage ever looking crowded. The acting in this play is extraordinary. As already mentioned, Don Wycherly and Maeliosa Stafford are a comedy duo who dominate much of the first half of the play. It is only when their friend Nicky, played by the wonderful Phelim Drew, comes round to the house for a game of cards and a Christmas drink with a ‘friend’ of his, that things take a turn. Nicky brings another element of comedy to offset the darkness of his friend Mr. Lockhart. Mr. Lockhart is played to perfection by Nick Dunning…to the point where his nasty snarls were drawing nervous little laughs from some of the audience.
The Seafarer is light, airy and funny in parts while dark and sombre in others. It brings five wonderful actors together and they were justifiably greeted by round after round of applause at the opening night on Wednesday. For something different, entertaining and thought provoking I suggest paying a visit to The Seafarer over the holidays.
The Seafarer is running nightly at The Abbey Theatre at 7.30pm from 9 December 2009 until 30 January 2010. Tickets are priced from €20 to €25 with student discounts available. There is also a matinee every Saturday afternoon at 2.00pm.
