Political play paints the human picture of life behind bars
REVIEW
Chronicles of Long Kesh @ The Waterfront Hall Studio
Martin Lynch’s play doesn’t claim to be the definitive drama about life in the Maze prison.
But, as a new work from one of Ulster’s leading playwrights which covers everything from the building of the jail to the moment it closed its doors, it has a weight of expectation upon it.
Painstakingly researched, and telling the story of republicans, loyalists and prison guards, it tackles a subject that is vast, emotive and contentious in its two-hour running time.
Six actors take on a range of characters – from inmates on both sides to guards, to family members, to newsreaders and more – as they dramatise the significant events in the prison’s history.
Having performers switching roles goes some way to deflecting criticism that this is a one-sided play – the republican prisoner one minute is a loyalist the next.
And a clearly talented cast deals superbly with a demanding script that requires the actors to be on peak form – get it wrong and the narrative flow is broken.
But, from a purely political point of view, it’s easier to find flaws.
The loyalist characters don’t get as much stage time, and are never explored in the same depth as their republican counterparts, which makes them seem tokenistic and stereotyped on occasion.
If you were sitting with a stopwatch and a clipboard you might conclude that it is a republican play.
From a less mathematical viewpoint, the opportunity to contrast the anarchy of republican prisoners against the regimented ranks of the loyalists, which was hinted at early in the work, didn’t materialise.
How you view Chronicles of Long Kesh will depend on your political standpoint, and whether that actually matters when you go to see a play.
Those who come with little in the way of political bias will find plenty to empathise within the form of prisoner, officer and narrator Freddie Gillespie.
Superbly played by Billy Clarke, he is the everyman at the heart of this work – a good man caught in a difficult situation which begins to take its toll.
Lynch doesn’t score political points with his play, but paints a bigger, more human picture of life in the prison.
In common with his other work, he captures the essence of Northern Ireland, and puts it on stage in a way that is always entertaining and never contrived.
In the end, it doesn’t really matter which side the prisoners are affiliated with: this is a piece of entertainment rather than a lecture.
It’s uncomfortable at times, hilarious at others, but never strays far from being compelling.
With great dialogue, a strong narrative, confident yet subtle direction and outstanding performances, it is a work of immense strength and power.
Judged on those terms, Chronicles of Long Kesh is an outstanding piece of theatre.
Chronicles of Long Kesh continues at the Waterfront Hall Studio until January 31 and then tours at various venues across Northern Ireland.
The play contains some strong language and is recommended for those over the age of 16.
Phil Crossey
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Tuesday 14 February 2012
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