The Unsung Hero, Theatre Upstairs

The set is not one you might expect for a play about the founder of the Irish Volunteers and a participant in the Easter Rising. As we take our seats, the first image is of two people, male and female, sitting behind a desk and in front of microphones looking like radio presenters, in modern dress and speech. On the wall behind are photos of Dublin from the time of the rising; pictures of those involved in it, at the centre is a map of the city, with lines and arrows coming out to different papers stuck on the wall, resembling the maps and boards you might see detectives consult on crime dramas. Pinned to the wall are typed pages, marked with black white board pen, that are plucked from the wall by the presenters at various points along the way. Without words being spoken, we know this is going to be different, and not the more regular road. When the presenters themselves take us through the safety announcement, not missing a beat before going into the play itself, distorting the moment between announcement and beginning of the play - is this the play or not? - that initial thought is confirmed. With a number of 1916 related productions doing the rounds, it turns out to be a wise choice.

It is through these modern presenters, as I will call them, that we are drawn in. The device of using responses from Facebook gives us the myriad of lenses, good and bad, that the Rising could be looked at. The approach writer David Gilna and director Michael Scott take is utilising a few styles: docu-drama, breaking news, and more traditional scenes. There are no costume changes, save for a green Commander hat for O'Rahilly, and a dark coat for Nannie. The variety of styles keep things moving and mixes it up. 

With this style the story of the couple is told in a direct way, not getting bogged down in too much detail, concentrating more on story and showing us a love story between the two. The everyday moments, the ordinary, makes a large impact, a contrast from the shadows of the Rising itself. Naturally, like all life stories where we know the ending, or at least where it is going, the job is how are we taken there, and thankfully it is well done, the focus on character so much that the modern dress become irrelevant. You do feel there is more to tell as the tale evolves, but that temptation to do too much is thankfully not taken. 

Conor Delaney gives us an O'Rahilly that is confident, sure of himself, willing to take risks, utilising suave and smooth well, but also showing his leadership side as well. Through letters, we get an insight into the GPO, a series of scenes that are dissonant, dark, using sound to distort, a far cry from skimming stones. Roseanna Purcell's Nannie is a match in many ways for O'Rahilly, nearly accepting another marriage proposal as he was taking his time. As the evening unfolds, her character comes to the fore more, representing the loved ones left to worry and wonder. Both give excellent, assured performances. The two other characters, "the presenters", are played by the same actors, but by the end have melded into the background, having drawn us in totally to the heroes of the piece.

There are a lot of ideas staging wise, a notable one was using light and sound during a rousing speech,  delivered to the back of the stage, lit from below, casting a large shadow on the low ceiling above, the sound of the voice distorted, background voices giving the sense of a larger and more rowdy group, creating a huge crowd from nothing, a little like the opening of Evita. The sound as the rising begins is more dissonant, the lighting darker, until it is fully red as the end is nigh.

It is a well paced, well written, solid play, that also shows great control, treating the subject matter with thought, showing two kinds of love - of one another and country - alongside loss and grief. It has power and intelligence to draw you in, tell the tale without resorting to lots of exposition or details. There may well be more of this story to tell, in a broader way, but as it stands, it is interesting, thought provoking and solid. This is one piece that will outlast the commemorations.