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London Irish Theatre
JohnJo
Written by Tom O’Brien Directed by John Dunne and members of the cast Cast:
Old Red Lion
14 October to 1 November, 2008
A review by Rosie Fiore for EXTRA! EXTRA!
This is the third production I’ve reviewed for Extra Extra, and each time I’ve sat down to write my review, my primary criticisms has been about the writing in the piece I have just seen. I’m not sure what that means. Am I too picky? Do I expect too much from the writers who are producing new work, often in small venues? I don’t believe that to be true, because if that were the case, one could fault all aspects of the productions, and, overwhelmingly the shows I have seen have featured great design, lighting and direction. Most notably, I’ve seen astonishingly professional, committed performances from actors, whom I am certain, are almost always working for free, or a pittance. This brings me to the production on question. JohnJo was written by Tom O’Brien, and my programme tells me this production toured “to critical acclaim a few years ago.” It’s a very simple tale indeed: JohnJo is born on his parents’ impoverished Irish farm, shortly after the Second World War. His parents fulfill every Irish stereotype: Mam is hardy, honest, saint-like and something of a nag, Pa has his head in the clouds and is altogether too fond of t’ drink. He provides JohnJo with dubious moral guidance (which includes stealing sheep from the lord of the manor), and after his death, JohnJo makes some terrible choices which lead to a life of enforced exile, working on construction gangs in England. In the second half of this brief piece, we meet him again in the 1970s, after 30 years’ hard labour. He is bitter and broken, and he shares the stories of the intervening years with an iconic “heart o’ gold” ageing barmaid in an Irish bar in North West London. The play is very short - under an hour - and so everything in JohnJo’s long life is drawn with the broadest of strokes. The characters JohnJo meets are all symbols: they are there to drive the story along, and there is no room for them to surprise us, to have depth or to grow. It’s a story of deprivation, poverty, bad choices and loss, but sadly, it’s utterly unoriginal. We’ve seen this story told so much better; notably in books like Angela’s Ashes. The denouement, which was supposed to be shocking and surprising, was so fudged and poorly set up, that both my companion and I missed the meaning completely. It wasn’t until I read the programme afterwards, that it became clear what had happened. That said, and with all my profound misgivings about the writing, I must commend the small, but excellent company, and the brave and innovative staging choices. The stage area’s bare walls were painted stark white, with dotted lines on the walls denoting “imaginary” set elements: a fireplace, a picture on the wall. This formed a perfect blank box in which JohnJo’s travels across time and distance could unfold. The action was linked and supported by the simply outstanding Joe O’Donnell and his guitar. With his mellow voice and easy manner, he set the mood and interspersed the scenes with Irish folk songs, and snatches of popular tunes. I’d happily have sat and listened to him play and sing for an hour, with or without the play. John Casey brought pathos and weight to the role of JohnJo, and Susan Cummings shone (both as actress and singer), as JohnJo’s mother and the barmaid. This is the first production by the newly formed London Irish Theatre, which is based in the London Irish Centre in Camden. I’ve no doubt that there is an abundant audience for plays like this, and others which bring a taste of home to the many Irish immigrants in London. It does strike me that the company might do better to seek a venue in Kilburn or Cricklewood, where the Irish community is most concentrated.
Tuesdays - Saturdays 7.30pm Box Office: +44 (0)20 7 837 7816 Old Red Lion
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ay Couzen