KNOW the three unities of Greek drama – “a single action represented as occurring in a single place and within the course of a day, being identified as a unity of action, unity of place, and unity of time.”
It’s strict style of theatre captured only by the best writers, brought to life by the most able actors. Factor in further tension, that of absolute non-engagement between the players on stage. Now you are closer to the crucible that is ‘On Blueberry Hill’.
Written by Irish Laureate Sebastian Barry, ‘On Blueberry Hill’ toured to London and the US, to pack out New York’s 59th Street theatre. It has moved critics, across the water, across the pond and in Dublin. The play tours to Lime Tree Theatre for two nights only, Wednesday 20 and Thursday 21, 8pm show. Jim Culleton directs for Fishamble: The New Play Company.
Christy/ actor Niall Buggy is incarcerated with PJ/ David Ganly.
On the phone from his London home, the Oliver-award winning Niall Buggy is a gentle storyteller remote from the savagery of Christy’s “bloody back story.”
Niall covers continents and decades with his fond vignettes, experience of Limerick included. It was here that he was The Playboy of the Western World, cast by Phyllis Ryan’s Gemini Productions with Niall Toibín and Aideen O’Kelly.
2019. Of the role in hand, he looks back two years ago to “when I first read Sebastian’s play and thought it an extraordinary piece, one of the most important pieces of my life. It had an enormous effect on me and… it has that effect on people.”
What’s at the heart of it? “Love. And when I say love I mean understanding. That seems to reflect across the board with audiences as we are all imprisoned in some way in our lives. It’s about love and loss and understanding each other. We all have differences in our lives.”
Niall muses on Sebastian Barry’s use of language, “a gift for an actor” and refers to his cellmate David Ganly as being “superb, a wondrous actor. He really is.”
That both Christy and PJ address only the audience and never each other ramps up the tension. Much more is demanded of an actor when he is not playing off the reaction of an ensemble that is together in traction.
Yet these two inmates are bonded by life and death in a way that is as unimaginable as much as their shared past is unchangeable.
From a place of terrible ugliness, beauty is born. Life is affirmed. “On Blueberry Hill is a unique piece of work. Sebastian Barry is a wonderful writer.”
Book at www.limetreetheatre.ie
