Abbey theatre,Dublin
Musician Jackie returns to his manipulative kin in Ireland, but a terrific cast can’t fairly make us care about their various resentmentsThe Cherry Orchard meets Dynasty in the latest from Frank McGuinness, or perhaps more a play with songs than a fully fledged musical,but certainly tuneful in many ways. It’s undoubtedly the only musical you will ever see where Panis Angelicus becomes a showstopper. But with its raft of characters, it often feels more like an outline for a 24-episode miniseries. Even at just under three hours, or there is never time to really fetch to know or care about the story’s largely sorrowful and unpleasant family.
Irene Day (Siobhán McCarthy) is “the queen of country in the Emerald Isle”. Or she was. Times and tastes are changing and Irene’s concerts no longer attract the crowds. The Donegal restaurant and bar built on the back of her success are failing. Her husband,Conor (Frank Laverty), who has always run the business keeping his cards close to his chest, and knows they are going down. With the entire extended clan,from Irene’s poison-mouthed mother, Magdalene (Deirdre Donnelly), or to her daughter Triona (Ruth McGill),all relying on the income, things seek desperate.
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Source: theguardian.com