Fortnight Publications Ltd.

Flemish FascinationAuthor(s): Marcus SmithSource: Fortnight, No. 252 (Jun., 1987), p. 23Published by: Fortnight Publications Ltd.Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25551222 .

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Paines Plough's Joyriders was one of the beneficiaries of the Arts Council's youth drama scheme

Cannon: a

loud report David Grant

SHOUT IT from the rooftops! There is life in Ulster theatre yet. Even as we are absorbing news of crisis after crisis it is at least consoling to

come across encouraging initiatives in youth theatre.

The impact of the Arts Council's youth drama scheme on the

vitality of theatre at all levels in recent years is often underestimated: it

has now a long enough history to be making its presence felt. One

thinks of several of the cast of Paine's Plough's production of Christina

Reid's Joyriders and some memorable performances from Robert

Patterson - particularly in Mumbo Jumbo at the Lyric and in Roy

Heayberd's excellent production of Rat in the Skull.

In the recent production of Brian McAvera's play, Cannon, at

Downpatrick Leisure Centre, Heayberd shared his wide experience with

the present youth theatre generation. This was a production of

enormous energy, with highly expressive choreography from Pat

McKane, to arresting music by Rod McVey. There is a tendency, of

course, to expect youth theatre productions to be extremely

sophisticated and accomplished, in the light of numerous fine

productions from Michael Poynor. But credit there must be, given the

relative haste with which this production must have been put together. And if McAvera's words came across rather better as song-lyrics than in

the spoken scenes, this was presumably because priority was being

given to the energy and the spectacle. That said, there was a very strong performance in the title role of the

anti-hero, Cannon, a victim of parental disregard and video mania (one

lyric rhymed the 'Video' with the phrase 'not like Juliet and her Romeo' to disquieting effect). There was also an unexpected cameo from

Downtown DJ John Daly, as the schoolteacher whose drama exercises are subverted by his more worldly-wise class in an uncomfortably familiar way.

There were also memorable performances from Michael Maxwell as

the chief thug - a dead cert for a chart hit if he ever records - and

Christine Nelson as the (albeit at times too) irrepressible Screwball, who actually knocked herself unconscious in her enthusiasm the night I

was there. And Heidi Reid gave evidence of an innate stage presence that may herald a new Ulster theatrical dynasty.

While it is regrettable that the young company did not have more

rehearsal time - and that the trend towards light grey brick and pine in

municipal architecture made lighting such a nightmare - two important

and positive directions in Arts Council policy were apparent. First there

is the commitment to a platform for new work, even if it at present this seems to entail non-professional actors. (It must be noted that

Heayberd's Rat in the Skull did not enjoy realistic Arts Council support.)

And secondly there is the access by amateur companies to

professional directors. This is to be continued in the summer when

Nick Phillipou - who directed an amateur production in Newry of

Donatists earlier in the year - will work intensively over four weeks

on a production of Romeo and Juliet for the Ulster Youth Theatre.

This professional input can only lead to the enrichment of local amateur theatre in the long term -

and, via youth theatre, to the future

health of professional theatre too.

Flemish fascination MISS Jairus was the alternative Passion Play for

Easter week - a startling counterpoise to the more

traditional production, Those Three Days, staged the

previous week at St Peter's Cathedral. Less publicity for the Delphic Players' production in the Elmwood

Hall, perhaps, but no less artistic commitment from

the actors and creators. Indeed Niall Cusack, who

played Jairus, also played Simon Peter in Those Three

Days. Miss Jairus is not a simple play and probably

requires a number of vie wings to bring out all the

themes addressed by the playwright, Michel de Ghelderode. He was a French-speaking Belgian but the

play, written in 1934-5 and set in 15th or 16th century Flanders, is in the Flemish tradition. The

subject is at one level a transportation to a medieval

European setting of the biblical story of Christ reluctantly raising the daughter of Jairus from the

dead. However my own feeling is that the play is

inspired more by the playwright's fascination with death.

A dead body lies on stage all through the first two acts. We are presented with a number of views of

death: the religious, the medical, the supernatural and

the psychological. Death is placed in a social setting too, with the anxious relatives, the Flemish

equivalent of keening Irish women and a rather money conscious cleric (Michael Gillespie). Medical science and rationality are made objects of scorn:

explanations of sickness and death are changed to suit

the events. Death is personified in the character of

The Stranger (John O'Reilly), Lazarus by name, and the death-touched daughter Blandine.

Despite the morbid content of the work, it is neatly punctuated by moments of humour, which

provide welcome relief from what could have been a

harrowing experience. The main players were excellent throughout.

Jairus, a somewhat self-mocking but considerate and

amiable father, given to awesome introspection at

times, at others self-befuddlement: Mr Cusack's

delivery was fine, his subtlety of tone and expression excellent as Jairus rushed and stammered his words.

Margaret Adamson played the supportive wife,

overwrought and overawed: a confident portrayal,

nicely stated. Fiona Veitch was the pallid Blandine:

again this was a sensitive performance. I felt the staging and scenery looked more Eastern

than Western Europe. The set was dark but grand and

some of the costumes gloriously colourful. The

directional honours are due to Carrie Ann McAlonan, to whom must go the credit for bringing out the sense

of Ghelderode's work.

A production, then, excellent in its totality.

_Marcus Smith

Fortnight June 23

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