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The Playboy of the Western World, written by John Millington Synge, was first performed in the Abbey Theatre in 1907. Ireland was still under English rule, thoughts of rebellion were beginning to rumble, and many felt that Synge’s choice to write a play about Ireland and its culture in English was devaluing to the Irish language. On the second night of the performance the stage was stormed by Irish nationalists. Due to my knowledge there was no such uproar during this run of the play (16th-18th August), but instead the audience was treated to a stellar performance with a play steeped in Irish history.

The traditional layout in dlr Mill Theatre in Dundrum was completely transformed by the set designer Bairbre Murray to create a more intimate experience between the audience and the actors (including Rachel O’Connell and Ethan Dillon). This provided a more detailed perspective on the lives they lived, allowing the audience to see the intricate work done on their costumes by the production crew. The production took an unusual turn by using the actors to produce most of the sounds within the play. The start of the play incorporated all of the actor’s singing abilities by having some sing and some contribute to the music by making a variety of vocal acrobatic noises.

The performance managed to captivate the audience’s attention by not only focusing on the history of the piece but also on the contemporary relevance on the themes within the play. As Ireland was and still is a Catholic country, the main focus of the story where Christopher kills his dad should be shamed – however, we find him being idolized by the people in his town. Considering the ten commandments such as “honor thy father and mother…” and “thou shalt not kill” the actions of the village people and of Christopher go against the religious beliefs of the time. With the upcoming visit of Pope Francis to Ireland the audience had a heightened sense of the theme of religion as in a particular scene where Christopher takes the Lord’s name in vain, something that even now is shamed by the Catholic Church. Choosing not to omit this line shows a changed Ireland which is brought to life by Sunflower Productions.

This production of The Playboy of the Western World served justice to JM Synge’s original script. The actors brought the traditional sentiments of the Irish culture to life on stage and evoked a sense of Irish nationalism and pride in everyone who saw the piece.

This review previously featured in our print edition, available now across campus and in select locations around Dublin.