by Rose Rushe
PAT McCabe’s latest dramatic hit, ‘The Bridge below the Town’ brings its countrywide tour to Lime Tree Theatre for St Pat’s weekend, Friday March 14 and Saturday 15.
The storyline, issued through Golly Murray (Barbara Bergin), is told through flashback to an Ireland of the 1960s in this Livin’ Dred theatre company work.
“This is an era where Ireland was changing fast, where people were praying for the conversion of Russia.
“I mean, the innocence of it was hilarious”. Thus actress Gina Moxley places the ‘The Bridge’ in context.
Her character McIlroy is one of the village women who function as chorus “and McIlroy is a bit of craic. I also play Mrs Miniter, the priest’s housekeeper”.
The actors other than Bergin double-up to take us through this otherwordly glide created by Golly who has “suffered from her nerves” since her son dies. Self-blame is the pin.
The ghost of this man appears episodically and then, people act in a way they never would, say things they never could – the love between the priest and housekeeper that has been suppressed is a case in point.
Gina Moxley speaks of a beautiful set with billowing sheets that serve to divide past and present, what is real and not, as possibly with the bridge below the town.
Pat McCabe excels at creating a world “yes, that is savage, hilarious, overblown, surreal. It is part of Pat’s genius that he can write something with such resonance, deep, meaningful stuff and yet make it so madcap and hilarious that you are in stitches”.
Moxley herself is an accomplished writer and director whose work is platformed in Limerick through Theatre at the Savoy and previous turns at Belltable. Wit and truth-saying are the blades to her scissors. She has been behind terrific shows such as Susan Boyle’s ‘Wine Goose Chase’, ‘The Candidate’ and ‘A Wheelchair on My Face’.
If she finds mirth in this inimitably Irish piece by Pat McCabe, trust her.
Pat McIntyre directs; Malcolm Adams, Damian Devaney, Janet Moran and Roseanna Purcell bring the village and various eras/ scenes to life.
More at www.limetreetheatre.ie for March 14 and 15, 8pm show.
