Turning a risk play to their advantage

How powerful was“The Irish Curse”, asks Namali Premawardhana

It goes without saying that “adults only” is going to cause a stir. When Colombo bought out tickets for two out of three nights (and nearly also for the third!) of Martin Casella’s “The Irish Curse” produced by Identities Inc., it was for the promise of something feisty and ground-breaking. What it delivered, was something distinctly different.

To begin with, the play itself was heavy on the clichés and formulas. A support group for men with a “small” problem is where everything unwinds. The ensemble cast of these vastly different men goes through the predictable motions of each character telling his story, while the odd one out (the new guy in this case) becomes the catalyst and then the pivot on whose narration the tone of the play depends. From its structure to its themes (masculinity, race, politics, happiness and of course Casella didn’t forget homosexuality!) nothing new is conveyed. The problem of size, they say, is an age-old problem nobody talks about, but the phallus has always been the underlying problem of art. The Irish Curse turns the underlying problem into the overarching one, and it felt (if only in this production of it), at the cost of depth. One brings the last skeleton out of the closet and finds there is nothing left to explore.

What the play did not do with depth though, it achieved very successfully with wit and emotion. How real the idea of a support group for men with small parts is, is debatable, but that doesn’t prevent Casella’s dialogue from being smooth, believable and hilarious on the tongues of an experienced cast. So while the cleverly executed dry humour had the audience simply roaring with laughter, the measured trepidation had them on edge, in pin-drop silence.

The power of the play lies in this pendulum swing of emotion. The significance of size and its implications in defining identity for the more “secure” sex is conveyed in this stark contrast between what’s funny and what’s not. The humour brings every guard crashing down and suddenly we are faced with the fact that this matter of smallness is in fact no small matter.

The play is text-driven and depends heavily on explicit language and the abilities of the cast to nuance and roll out lines, for its success. Identities Inc. could have picked a better play, but there is no way they could have picked a better cast. Not one of the five cast members Dominic Kellar, Pasan Ranaweera, Dino Corera, Andre Perera or Gehan Blok needs an introduction. Kellar’s Average Joe was the most believable of all the characters, and the actor himself fit most happily into the role of the inconspicuous southern lawyer who has neither the personality nor the parts to keep his wife. Ranaweera was wonderfully contained for the most part in his role of the conservative Catholic priest although there were times when he resorted to a caricaturized portrayal of dear Fr. Kevin.

To direct a play and act in it is not an easy thing unless one is working with a small cast of players one is very familiar with, and trusts. So Gehan Blok had things going well for him, with his experienced group of coactors, and a small one (pun intended) at that. They were slick, quick, and the group dynamic worked out well. How comfortable Blok was in his role as “Rick” was questionable though. He had his characteristics down, the wide open grin, the belly laugh and the swinging arms, and he did a good job portraying the youthful excitement of being in love, being chased and bragging on white lies, but there was a stiffness in his performance that made it not sit all that well. Dino Corera made a handsome-angry gay cop in his role as “Stephen” but again seemed a little uncomfortable and rehearsed now and then. If one had to pick a star from the show though, opening night’s was Andre Perera hands down. His portrayal of the insecure new guy “Keiran” in the group, the one with all the questions, was subtly handled and consistent, making the character fresh despite its predictability.

The play was risky for its language, and risky for its content but the team led by Blok twisted the risk to their advantage, exciting lots of laughter and setting some minds working. Bring us a better play next time, Identities Inc. - but thank you for a solid production and some mighty good laughs!

Getting it Write! - the 2015 Seminar conducted by the English Writers Cooperative of Sri Lanka (EWC) will be held at the Sri Lanka Federation of University Women, 96/25, Kithulwatte Rd, Colombo 8 on Saturday, August 29 (Poya) from 9.30 a.m. – 2.30 p.m.

Speakers include Dr. Harshana Rambukwella, Dr. Devika Brendon, Radhika Philip and Gratiaen Prize winner, 2015, Vihanga Perera.

Those interested could register by calling 0778308515. The entry fee of Rs. 1000 should be paid on the day of the seminar. Registration will be from 8.45 a.m. onwards.

The seminar will be followed by the launch of CHANNELS Volume 21.