Two ex-classmates wait for the Stranraer ferry back to Belfast…
Jimmy is a struggling actor chasing the break that never comes.
Eddie is a celebrity footballer who, despite being Protestant, is the captain of
Celtic.
At first, they reconnect over football, Father Ted and the staunch Unionist
culture they grew up in, but what begins as banter spirals into confrontation
as buried resentments, betrayal and violence rise to the surface…
Provocative and hilarious, David Ireland’s explosive debut play is a portrait of
two men trapped by the stories they tell themselves and each other.
Review by David Delve.
This is a revival of a play first written, performed and set in 2008 in Scotland, and on this showing well worth it. Two guys meet in a ferry-station at Stranraer to cross to Belfast – one seems the quiet studious type whilst the other is loud and edgy. What transpires is that Jimmy (Matthew Blaney) is a struggling actor desperately looking for ‘the break’, and Eddie (Robbie Martin) is a celebrity footballer desperate to get to L.A. and reunite with David Beckham, then at LA Galaxy. We move from Jimmy’s (trying to learn lines) antagonism to Eddie’s phone blaring out The Pogues as a ringtone and being oblivious in his headphones, to the knowledge that that were both at the same school and knew each other. But that only brings up the foibles, sectarianism, and resentments of schoolboy life. Eddie drives the play with his erratic excitement of the football world, captaining for Celtic even as a Protestant, full of swearing and mistaken words and situations, which Jimmy attempts to correct. The banter is electric. And learning that Jimmy is going to audition in Belfast for a film directed by Mel Gibson, Eddie’s excitement increases, as he only watches films and telly.
Cut to Act 2 – and we find Eddie attempting to learn lines in a film trailer! Jimmy arrives soaking wet, and in high dudgeon to demand explanations of how & why Eddie got the part Jimmy was trying so hard to get. Fireworks. But a deal is struck as Eddie just cannot learn the lines, so Jimmy offers to help IF Eddie gets him a meeting with Mel Gibson. The line hearing is farcical. And Eddie has received a death threat, playing a Proddy “I want to kill a Catholic”. They argue on everything again, but when Jimmy reveals He sent the death threat, Eddie’s fury is unabatable, getting them hoods put on, and eventually beating Jimmy with a baseball bat whilst getting the film speech perfect! And Jimmy still wants to meet Mel as recompense.
A simple but clever set typical of Alex Marker, good lighting from Jodi Rabinowitz, sound from Joe Dines , and costumes from Eleanor Landgrebe.
Stylish, witty, provocative, and like two boxers in the ring it never lets up. All credit to Harry Burton as Director who has honed this piece into a tight exciting evening at the theatre. And above all his two actors, Matthew Blaney and Robbie Martin are superb.
The whole production deserves an award.
Cast
Matthew Blaney – Jimmy Culver
Robbie Martin – Eddie Harrison
Creatives
David Ireland – Writer
Harry Burton – Director
Alex Marker – Set Designer
Jodi Rabinowitz – Lighting Designer
Joe Dines – Sound Designer
Ellie Landrebe – Costume Designer
Sophia Knight – Hair & Makeup Designer
Robin Stewart – Assistant Director
Tickets: click here