This sluggish Playboy needs to be bawdier to land a West End hit

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The Playboy Of The Western World – Lyttelton National Theatre

When J.M. Synge’s play, The Playboy of the Western World, first opened in Dublin in 1907, it caused major fights in the audience. People strongly objected to the way Synge portrayed rural Irish life, and their disagreement quickly turned physical.

Today, the show is often talked about more than it deserves—and even the brilliant performances of Nicola Coughlan and Siobhan McSweeney (known from Derry Girls) aren’t enough to cause much excitement in the refined Southbank area of London.

Irish actor Eanna Hardwicke, relatively new to leading roles, stars as Christy Mahon. He’s a wandering storyteller who arrives at a pub in Mayo, owned by Pegeen Coughlan, and boasts about killing his father with a potato shovel.

This suddenly makes Christy famous, and allows Pegeen to avoid marrying the last man anyone would choose, Shawn (Marty Rea).

However, before that happens, the Widow Quin, known for her playful nature, decides to try her luck with the young outlaw herself. She says with a sigh, ‘A man who killed his own father is certainly tempting.’

It all goes turf-shaped when Christy’s father (Declan Conlon) turns up alive but not well.

I absolutely love this story, it’s full of energy and life! But honestly, it can be a bit of a commitment – it’s nearly three hours long, and a lot of it is talk. The language is also really unique – it’s written in this old-fashioned, Irish-flavored English that takes some getting used to. There’s tons of chatting and bargaining going on, and let me tell you, the characters definitely enjoy their share of whiskey!

Caitriona McLaughlin, the director from Dublin’s Abbey Theatre – where this play originally caused a sensation – has incorporated a wandering group of mournful performers to give the production a lively, chaotic, and festive atmosphere.

This production sadly lacks the playful chaos it really needs. It feels small and unimportant on the National’s large Lyttelton stage – like a quiet disagreement happening far away.

The competition for attention between Pegeen and Widow Quin doesn’t create any dramatic conflict either.

To really grab the attention of London theater audiences and get them riled up, the performances need to be much more bold, lively, and even a little scandalous.

It is running until February 28.

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2025-12-12 03:56