| Theatre and Gig Reviews
Theatre
Previews
The path to true love is a rocky one
By Amanda Diamond
 The Abbey Theatre Dublin’s production of Dion Boucicault’s classic play The Shaughraun is set to open in London’s Albery Theatre from June 8. Penned by the Irish-born playwright Boucicault and directed by John McColgan of Riverdance fame, The Shaughraun originally opened at the Abbey this time last year to rave reviews and sell-out shows.
And it promises to have something of the same effect at the Albery Theatre. The cast, which has transferred from Ireland, is headed by Don Wycherley who plays the title role — the Shaughraun: Conn O’Kelly by name, a loveable rogue by nature.
The title character alongside his beloved dog Tatters sets about helping the path of true love to run smooth. But it’s a bigger task than he first imagines.
Conn’s friend Robert struggles to be with the love of his life, Arte. After he’s first outcast to Australia, he flees to Mayo, but is ultimately imprisoned to facilitate Corry Kinchela’s (Stephen Brennan) wicked plan.
Things become worse when Captain Molineaux — who’s been sent on a mission to fetch Robert — gets entangled in the love affair and falls in love with the prisoner’s sister, Moya.
Only one thing’s for sure in this production and it’s that the Shaughraun has his work cut out for him to sort out this one.
Anita Reeves stars as Mrs O’Kelly, Stephen Brennan as Corry Kinchela with Frank Grimes as Father Dolan.
Some of Boucicault’s other productions include The Poor of New York, The Octoroon, The Colleen Bawn and London Assurance.
Grainne McLoughlin
The Shaughraun.
Performance times at the Albery Theatre are Mondays-Saturdays at 7.30pm, with Thursday and Saturday performances at 2.30pm. Tickets are available from the Albery Theatre Box Office on 0870 060 6621.
Theatre Previews
A tale of plumbing, karaoke and personal finance
Last seen at Soho Theatre, Kingfisher Blue — a tragic-comedy of modern London life penned by Irish playwright Lin Coghlan — is set to be staged in London’s Bush Theatre.
The play demonstrates how humanity and black humour can be found in the most unusual of places. On a run-down estate in South London Denny the plumber — who has an obsession with karaoke but boasts a heart of gold — manages to make a living of sorts. That is, when he’s not busy sorting out Elvis, the latest in a long line of hapless apprentices. Elvis, who lives on pot noodles and shows a limited grasp of personal finance is the source of much humour in Coghlan’s play.
Elvis’s mate Ally is a kid seemingly without hope; an underfed 14-year-old who’s just waiting be served an ASBO and wants nothing better than to join the SAS and have his own gun, assuming they take blokes that use inhalers.
But when he comes up with a dodgy money-making scheme, he brings a vigilante mob down on his only friend.
All of Kingfisher Blue’s characters inhabit the desperate world of material and emotional poverty, where everyone has a scheme for getting rich, getting out, or getting ahead, and where it sometimes looks like the only way out is to abuse the trust of the very people who try to help.
The play promises to be an exciting and innovative portrayal of the trials and tribulations of modern London life yet Coghlan prides herself on not losing the basic sense of decency that exists no matter the circumstances within the play.
Kingfisher Blue is directed by Paul Miller and will run from May 18 until June 18.
Grainne McLoughlin Kingfisher Blue.
For further information and tickets contact the Bush box office on 020 7610 4224 or for online booking contact www.bushtheatre.co.uk
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