BOTTOM Dog Theatre Company seals off the vacuum typical of Summer entertainment with its Sunday series, 4 American Plays, at Loft Venue. This actually began a week ago with Noel Cleary’s direction of The Crucible, but this run of ‘read’ plays continues with weekly perfomances at Locke Bar’s playhouse for Sundays May 15, 22 and 29, 8pm. This Sunday 15, actor/ writer/ director Mike Finn directs Neil Simon’s The Sunshine Boys.
As one of the founders of Bottom Dog, Finn looks to what is current and possible:
“As an unfunded company, we don’t always have the money to mount a full production but we are determined to make professional theatre in Limerick. Rehearsed readings are the next best thing. We did the series 4 Bloody Plays in CentreSPACE two years ago and last year did 4 Funny Plays here at Loft Venue. Again, these were readings of works not usually seen in Limerick. This year the theme is American”.
His own choice for Sunday 15 is by one of the great modern comic playwrights, Neil Simon. Simon wrote the The Odd Couple, wrote the film’s screenplay, and wrote Biloxi Blues which Island Theatre Co. with Finn, Myles Breen and more did almost 20 years ago in the Belltable.
Not Island’s finest hour, if I recall but an older, wiser Mike Finn is happy to renew Simon’s acquaintance.
“The Sunshine Boys is a gag a minute, it is really hilarious. I read it through for the selection and was chuckling out loud. It’s stuffed with one-liners, real Jewish American humour in the vein of Marx Brothers, Woody Allen, Mel Brooks”.
“The absolute scream” of a storyline is of two near past-it vaudevillian stars, Brendan Conroy (Pigtown) and Paschal Scott (Killnascully) who hate each others guts. Loathing but needing the prospect of working together, they galvanise when the TV agent/ nephew of one of them (Nigel Dugdale, everywhere) bags a primetime slot.
“The two actors Brendan and Paschal know each other a long time and like each other a lot but they are perfect for this. They are oldish, too,” he chuckles, whip hand as director.
Brave man, Mike, to declare yourself but actors and directors should. We’ll hear his mettle rattle after Sunday 15 supper in Locke Bar for this 8pm comedy performance. Expect reliable back up from David Griffin, Myles Breen, Pius McGrath, Nadia Sakmi and Steffani O’Keeffe.
For 4 American Plays, there is no ‘dul isteach’ at the door, we simply contribute what we can. Doors open at 7pm and again, signifying the lack of money around, there is no booking system. Come early so to the shabby-chic welcome of Loft Venue’s rooms for a social drink and chat first.
On Sunday May 22, Noelle Browne (The Abbey, Gate Theatre) directs Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean and on Sunday 29, New York’s Patrick Byrnes directs The Front Page, 8pm shows.
Fresh from reading The Crucible, Mike Finn takes the director’s chair for The Sunshine Boys.
