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To say that director Bisi Adigun loves JM Synge’s The Playboy of the Western World would be an understatement. Ten years after premiering his version of The Playboy of the Western World in the Abbey Theatre, he has released another version, this time entitled An Other Playboy…??? which premiered in the Project Arts Centre on November 14.
The plot of the play remained loyal to the original. Christy Moore from the Mountains of Mourne crashes into a Waterford pub one seemingly normal evening, telling the story of how he, with the aid of a hurley, murdered his own father. He becomes a revered hero in Kildagoat, with the inhabitants of the small village regarding him with awe and admiration. That is, of course, before they find out that much of his story is exaggerated.
I found that Amy Clarke’s portrayal of Peggy was over-acted, a choice that definitely worked in particular points of the play, but her overuse of it betrayed the fact that this play is her theatrical debut.
Adigun decided to colour-blind and gender-blind cast the production. The role of Michael Flaherty was convincingly portrayed by Yomi Ogunyemi, and the role of Shawn Keogh was played by Emma Brennan. While the decision to take such casting risks was commendable, I cannot say that the audience was not left confused, especially as the role of Peggy, Mike’s daughter, was played by a blonde, Caucasian person. I think that this choice could have been explained during the course of the play, since a lot of the specifics of the play deviated from the original, and would have provided coherence.
In all, Bisi Adigun’s latest rendition of The Playboy of the Western World was entertaining and engaging. Although a few aspects of the play could have been improved and would have resulted in a much better production, the play did make a lasting impact on me, and definitely stayed with me long after I had gone home.
