Monday, 1 June 2026

Playboy of the Western World

This evening I went to see National Theatre Live’s production of Playboy of the Western World. I didn’t know what to expect and I was certainly surprised by the strange tragi-comic and downright absurd plot. The actors were all very good and performed in thick Irish dialect which took Gordon and I a while to get used to. The play was first performed in 1907 and offended Irish Nationalists so much that there was rioting in the streets! They thought that it was vulgar and mocking Irish culture, but I think it was actually mocking all human behaviour. 
I have been to see National Theatre Live several times before, and it is very nearly as good as seeing a play live on stage. This is probably because you are in fact seeing it live on stage, with zoom in shots and different camera angles, albeit recorded. It was a fun evening. 
Postscript - one of the actresses had a familiar Cusack look for me, and when I looked her up later I was pleased with myself for correctly identifying Megan, one of the younger members of the Irish Cusack acting dynasty! 

No comments:

Post a Comment