Beryl Divorcee neé: de Courcey!
'Kicking and Screaming' was written by Wayne Power and directed by Sinead Hourigan
Waterford playwright and poet Wayne Power just loves relationships.
Familial and casual, romantic and friendly, intimate and public. It’s the family relationships that tantalise him and Sinéad de Courcey’s (Gayle Corrigan) family provides enough complexity to power a Russian epic.
Tolstoy’s comment on families, ‘every family has its secret and its secret is that it is not like other families’ was never more apt because Beryl’s secrets tumble out like a teenager’s washing.
It hasn’t been a good day for Beryl. Officially divorced, she’s celebrating in Roxy’s with her few pals but her heightened mood has a touch of Love Island introductions – exaggerated and hollow.
Her former husband has found another and she’s got a Thesaurus of descriptions for her…’fluesy…whore…bitch…the wan’!
Her son Stevie’s (Kieran Walsh) got his own share of romantic issues which he shares with his flatmate Dylan (Adam O’Neill), who is the audience’s go-to man that tells us what’s going on in this menage-a-trois.
Stevie’s met a potential boyfriend – affectionally known as ‘The Twink’ Niall played by David Marchant.
They’ve met up on the Grindr app designed for the broader LGBTQ+ community and all the will-he-won’t-he commitment issues play out against the Waterford urbanscape of nightclubs and pubs. Cheating, gossip, Facebook, Waterford in your pocket, Whispers, The Reg all inform the conversations that centre entirely on relationships and, especially, loyalty.
Everyone wants more – especially an escape from the humdrum existence and watching eyes of Déise neighbourhoods.
But some just want more of the same. Dylan longs for Stevie’s affection, The Twink waits for Stevie’s long-term commitment while Beryl The Divorcee searches for a reason why her husband of some twenty years walked out on her for a young wan and a house on the Dunmore Rd. ‘With f**kin’ solar panels’.
When Beryl explodes in rage with ‘F**k ‘em all’, the sisterhood cheer and applaud for their new champion.
Beryl experiences every emotion that goes with rejection. The shame of it as neighbours watch on.
The betrayal of a woman that has been absolutely faithful and the pain of regret as she stares around her empty nest in Dominick Place.
When Beryl Divorcee neé DeCourcey from John’s Park explodes with ‘f**k ‘em all’; I’m headin’ for Tully’s’, the house pounds its approval for a woman braced to face all comers.
Beryl’s son Stevie has his own issues as well. His gay relationships are no more than sexual trysts because he can’t commit and totally fails to recognise Dylan’s love for him along with The Twink’s infatuation.
Stevie feels his worth as an employee is seriously undervalued despite the fact that he’s just got the boot and his P45 for goofin’ off his workplace. ‘I want more than this town can give me’ declares the unemployable Stevie ‘and I’m headin’ for Canada’.
Lucky Montreal! When Beryl hears this, it just heaps more anxiety on her shoulders although she never shirks her responsibilities towards him.
‘Comedy is no laughing matter’ confided Groucho Marx but playwright Wayne Power’s script is studded with more one-liners than a whole series of ‘Friends’ with constant local allusions and current IT references make it even more topical.
The presence of ‘home’ is everywhere and that indominatable spirit of courage and survival is also an enduring presence in Wayne’s script.
The actors give it everything although Gayle Corrigan steals the show with a superb performance as the betrayed but feisty Beryl. Director Sinéad Hourigan keeps a strong pace – despite some needless set changes – and characters are well established. I have no idea why such an experienced cast were miked as it did nothing for the play.
I’m filled with optimism whenever I see Wayne Power’s work. His clever, witty and funny dialogue wraps itself around moments that are tender, moving and truthful.
There’s a strong sense of character and structure here and his one-liners has the house in stitches and well deserves its standing ovation. This comedy needs to be repeated and would be easily toured.
You just can’t beat good writing!
