Brian Friel
Rising Moon Productions
Kings Arms, Salford
January 15-19
The Kings Arms is an unusual pub theatre.Last night, downstairs was crowded with a quiz: who knew that the sun makes up 99.86% of the solar system?
Who said theatre was purely entertainment? Every theatre has to pass the bums on seats test - ie, do you become aware of the hardness of the seat during the play? As the seats in the Kings Arms are not padded this sets a high bar, which this production of Brian Friel's great Faith Healer passed with flying colours – especially in the cracking second act.
Friel's name, of course, will set true theatre lovers drooling. Think Dancing at Lughnasa and Translations. It took me three views of Dancing before I could pronounce the name, and I loved every visit. Friel is a great teller of stories, allowing his characters to show themselves as real people you could meet in a bar. As, of course, you do here...
The play is a three hander, with each character developing his or her own view of the world without interaction. Which makes for a complex evening: you need to remember what the other members of the trio said about the same actions, just like real life.
There is Frank (Colin Connor), a man with a talent for healing, damaging relationships and self destruction. Connor can do a real Irish accent and, at the drop of some Irish whiskey, switch to a goodish cockney chancer's voice. He holds forth within three feet of you and he grips you with his flaws and self belief.
Then there is Teddy (Rupert Hill), last seen at Hope Mill in Husk, and here demonstrating the art of managing stage characters. These include a lady with 120 doves – though it's not quite clear what they do, apart from die of galloping shingles.
The female lead, Grace, (Vicky Binns) has the unenviable task of book-ending the first act. She also has to create a character damaged by the fighting relationship with her partner. To survive an encounter with a man who can heal the sick, lame and the blind intact must be hard. To her credit she emerges with only limited damage to her mental health.
The director, David Thacker, has a CV that will immediately draw the faithful. The Young Vic, the Dukes in Lancaster and The Octagon in Bolton have been just three of his (lesser) gigs. That he chooses to work in a 50-seat marginal theatre is a credit to his passion for the art, regardless of where it is made. Here it is delivered at a fraction of the cost and personnel at a major theatre, but with the intensity brought by sitting a yard or two. from the performers and the the rear of house staff as they clear the stage, set the scenery and let latecomers into the action.
The production is a shot in the arm for people who like their theatre like their coffee; dark, intense and eye-opening. Only the uncomfortable seating stops this meriting five stars...
More info and tickets here
