05 May 2025
Debbie Heath returns to the Abbey Theatre for Company of Ten’s simply extraordinary take on Martin McDonagh’s comedy drama…
I must say that I had really been looking forward to the ‘The Cripple of Inishmaan’.
I already liked Martin McDonagh’s writing and although I was unfamiliar with this particular play I knew I could probably expect a some well-observed character comedy whilst exploring the highly emotive issue of the perception of disability in a closed-minded community.
A tragicomedy if you like. Martin McDonagh is of Irish parentage but grew up in London. This slight removal combined with heritage would surely give him a fascinating perspective on Irish village life. I’ll admit I’m quite the ‘Father Ted’ fan and was hoping for a play that recreated some of that vibe amidst the serious themes.
I was not disappointed. As soon as we entered the space, the audience were immersed in Inishmaan.
Ali Pagan’s beautifully realised set combined the outside with the in. I mused with another audience member how on earth she had been able to create such realistic stone walls. The inside of the shop was gorgeously quaint and these combined and the boat in the corner gave us three distinct playing areas. Mial Pagan’s thoughtful sound design was another contributing factor in creating the atmosphere. The nature soundscape had been well researched and range of Irish music was super.
Director Jenny Kilcast used her cast effectively in this pre-play section. Three of them occupied the set and interacted with the audience – a strategy I rate highly if done as well as this. These factors all combined to transport the audience in the Abbey Studio theatre straight to Inishmaan before the play even began. A very impressive start indeed.
This play is a true ensemble piece. Each of the nine roles are well-rounded and must have been a joy to get to grips with by the talented company.
The director, a professional actor herself, had clearly focussed hard on character realisation in her cast and the results were superb. The overall mastery of accents was equally impressive. I was pleased to see some strong physicalisation which is sometimes harder to master – every little gesture mattered. For example Kasia Bambridge as Helen and Jonathan Snelling as Bartley, both played these teen roles with youthful energy and a physicality that was not their own.
Their moments of sibling banter were high points of the show for me. All works of art need light and shade and the contrast between this energy and that of the “cripple” himself was well marked.
Benedict Gaskin as Billy mastered the limp convincingly throughout and had a sad but tolerant vibe which worked so well. Here is a character who has spent his orphaned life shuffling between the doctor’s surgery and local shop of his two old maid guardians to the cries of “Hello there Cripple Billy.” As a disabled person myself I found his plight very touching and well realised. I cannot mention every cast member by name but please be assured that they can all be proud, not only of their individual performances but the way they worked together as a team.
This is a play about feeling trapped, Trapped in one’s own body, trapped by a closed-minded home town and harder still, trapped by people who love you. Billy wants to escape and enlists Babbybobby (expertly played by Thomas Fink-Jenson) to row him to see an American talent scout who is filming in the area. I won’t spoil the play by telling you the outcome but it’s a good understated plot that feels appropriate for the characters and setting.
So did I get the feel of ‘Father Ted’ that I had hoped for? Yes I did but so much more besides. This is a really outstanding script that causes the audience to consider whether we have really moved on in our perceptions and treatment of people who are different. It also gets us thinking about how we show love and that it has the potential to make our children feel claustrophobic and trapped. The power of this production is due to everything working together sublimely from script, company and technical realisation. ‘The Cripple of Inishmaan’ is simply one of the finest plays I have ever seen the Company of Ten produce and I only wish I could go again.
