During what I think may be the 45th interpretation of Juno and the Paycock at The Abbey, one London based critic seemed to be under pressure, and to the extent that he was reduced to comment that the scenery was too up-market and did not reflect the poverty or conditions which the playwright originally envisaged. The production moves shortly at the end of its Dublin run to London.
The same cannot be said about the assorted members of the touring company of players currently seeking support for the move of one of their number to the Aras.
This current cast’s composition would defy the imagination of even the greatest of Irish playwrights.
For starters, there is a former youth pop-star who has deeply held religious views and who is about to take legal action trans-Atlantic.
Then there is “the shadow of a gunman”, but now with a proven track record in cross-community mini-government of county council size, and who like the former pop-star, is from darker days in Derry. Both he and she however have a degree of an international profile.
And in pluralist Ireland there now has to be the gay icon, an intellectual with a couple of riffs in his past correspondence, who of course has to be Church of Ireland. And who could have foreseen the pure coincidence timing of his presidential endeavour with the rictus within his church on sexuality?
And so on. It is a scenario which outstretches rational thought, and definitely would not get any aspirant playwright envisaging a drama on such a plot as far as base one with the commissioning editors of RTE, BBC or any realistic competitor.
Above but not beyond all this, there is the contribution, and hopefully the lasting legacy, of the work of the current President on an All Ireland basis and internationally. This will be difficult to sustain or equal by any of those who have set themselves forward for consideration as her successor. Likewise, the role of her husband in bridge-building with Loyalists and working class Protestant areas in Northern Ireland must be given full credit in any assessment of this Presidency.
The law professor from Belfast and The Queen’s University, has come a long way, and she has brought Ireland – all of it save a few dangerous and demented dissidents – with her. That achievement accomplished with grace and sensitivity is what is at stake in the current electoral process in the Republic. At home and abroad, despite scandals in the church of the majority and the dire state of the Irish economy, this President has maintained a recognisable status and a credible profile for her country.
Sitting in The North as opposed to Martin McG’s “down here” i.e., The Republic, if I were allowed to write the script for the current cast – there would be a late entrant by the name of Brian O’Driscoll. His short statement made after the crushing disappointment in the Rugby World Cup defeat was cogent. It recognised fully the contribution of the supporters, and he admitted that on the day he and his team were simply not able to master their opponents. And he did so with grace, integrity and diplomacy. We need people like BOD in civic all Ireland leadership roles. Fanciful? I don’t think so. He would get my vote – if I had one.
Houston McKelvey