Half a century of Druid Theatre marked in Longford's Backstage

Genius is an intoxicating and addictive elixir. To taste it is to want more.

Last Friday and Saturday night audiences filling the seats in Longford's Backstage Theatre drank their fill of a heady draft as Druid Theatre presented a fizzing, bubbling brew that induced a giddy inebriation.

The three short plays were the works of playwright Sean O'Casey. O'Casey was renowned for using his art to record a nation forging a new identity. The importance of The Plough and the Stars, The Shadow of a Gunman, and Juno and the Paycock to Irish identity are incontrovertible.

Druid Theatre's choice of O'Casey to mark a milestone birthday makes sense. The drama collective is, arguably, the finest compendium of exponents of the dramatic arts in the country.

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For their 50th anniversary the group took to the road with three short comedies by the great Irish playwright. The short tales of misadventure, directed by Garry Hynes, are performed by a Druid ensemble featuring Longford's Liam Heslin along with Rory Nolan, Marty Rea, Venetia Bowe, Marie Mullen and Caitríona Ennis.

A Pound on Demand (1939) is the tale of Jerry and Sammy who badly need a quick injection of cash to continue their night on the town. In Bedtime Story (1951), poor John Jo Mulligan learns the hard way that inviting members of the opposite sex to Miss Mossie's lodging house comes with serious consequences.

All hell breaks loose in The End of the Beginning (1937) when Darry Berrill and his wife Lizzie agree to swap their household roles - and that's before Darry's clumsy friend Barry arrives.

It's a genuine privilege to see such professional commitment to comedy. This is not nuanced, high art theatre, it's 100% entertainment.

Acknowledged by the writer as “plays to make a few bob for jobbing actors”, there is an unavoidable, subtle social commentary at play in each story.

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This Druid cast extract every gramme of humour from the short plays; from Marty Rea's sotted Sammy, to Caitríona Ennis' wickedly wilful Angela Nightingale and Rory Nolan disaster prone Darry, each performance is exquisitely executed.

A special mention goes to local actor, Liam Heslin, who's turn as Daniel Halibut was perfectly wrought. Theatre lovers in Ireland owe an enormous debt to Garry Hynes, who consistently delivers world class entertainment on our stages.

Druid Theatre presented the Three Short Comedies by Seán O’Casey marking the beginning of Druid’s 50th anniversary programme for 2025 at Backstage on Friday, February 28 and Saturday, March 1.