Power play makes pawns of kings in Chess

MACHINATIONS and manoeuvres drive the plot in ‘Chess the Musical’ and sub plots convolute further.

Limerick Musical Society will open at University Concert Hall on Wednesday March 29 for a four night run of this excitement costing in excess of €50,000 to stage.

Chairperson Laura Henebry joined Arts page to outline the unprincipled principals in this most political of musicals: international power play, grandmaster games, sexual betrayal.

With Tim Rice as lyricist and ABBA members composing, “The music in ‘Chess’ is stunning. One minute you feel you are at opera, then at a rock concert, then it’s back to the ’80s with synthesiser music”.

The face off is between Anatoly, Russian grandmaster (Nile St James) and Freddie, the American modelled on Bobby Fischer (James Malone), over black and white squares of competition for status and love.

Laura plays Svetlana, Anatoly’s wife whom he abandons for Florence,  the American’s ‘second’ in chess play. Florence (Claire Heffernan) is the erratic Freddie’s idealised love “who swoops in to take my man”.

Aidan O’Connell is Molokov, Anatoly’s manipulative aide and while “seemingly on everybody’s side, he wheels and deals.

“Molokov is an interesting character, very divisive and the song ‘Nobody’s on Nobody’s Side’ makes clear that they are all pawns. There is a reference early on to Freddie as “the dethroned champion”.

Bear with the challenges, from opening game in Italy’s Merano throughout a series that the American is losing, as he loses Florence to Anatoly. Tension will culminate in the world games  – ‘One Night in Bangkok’  – as every member of the ensemble has a stake in Anatoly purposely losing. Will the Russian king be pawn?

“Molokov intrigues Svetlana in getting Anatoly to throw the game. Another song ‘Endgame’ for her is that her husband would then come home. Her song ‘I Know Him So Will’ duets with Florence although neither knows the other is there as they sing it”.

For both it is their emotionally charged experience of the man.

There are other characters, Ciaran Collins as The Arbiter, a narrator figure and Jason Ronan as Walter. The Cold War is backdrop to the un-united nations that span continents and octaves, whuke Florence’s imprisoned father, a Hungarian emigré, is another bargaining chip.

Let the games begin.