In On It, Smock Alley

A lone jacket is lying, a little crumpled, in the middle of the space as the audience take their seats. Apart from two chairs there is nothing else on view in Good Dog Theatre's Irish Premiere of Canadian writer Daniel MacIvor's play. It is a play within a play, or could that be even more layered, as three stories are woven through the evening: a dying man making plans, a gay couple trying to make it work, and a writer trying to create a play. Here the audience are part of it, as questions about the meaning of a speech or what a character represents, brings us in and out of these stories and lives, in this wonderful evening of theatre.

There is a naturalness to the play and this production. Less is more as they say, and here it is put to great effect. The language being delivered at times feels as if it is being thought up there and then, not really certain of what the next line is, adding to a strong theatricality in the evening. Of course, the idea of not knowing, a lack of control, or trying to keep control, among the randomness of 'anything can happen' is written into the DNA of the play. It makes for an intriguing evening, and despite the ideas and themes, there is a very light touch to it, nothing forced or heavy handed here as life, art, chance and the unknown all plays a part.

Owen Martin and Brian Burns take on the differing roles, but not in any formal way; they both play the same characters at different times, or at different tries. Both put in great performances, playing off each other so well; Martin being more relaxed against the more self conscious Burns, a classic double act. And there is that wonderful dance routine to Lesley Gore's bouncy 1965 song Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows. There is much to make you think and much to make you smile.

Everything comes together so well, the performances, the style, John Neville's subtle sound design, never letting the background soundtrack come near to overpowering the dialogue, letting it crank up only when needed, while Susie Cummins' lights move from bright, when pulling us outside the stories, and through a wonderfully relevant palette, enhancing the moments. All of this is directed with care and attention, warmth, and of course skill, by Tracy Martin. It all looks effortless. 

There is much to be admired in this production, delivered finely, and with a beauty to it all, nothing forced, as if we all turned up to this place and Burns and Martin decided on a whim to put this on. But of course they didn't and the 'less is more' style makes the whole evening sublime, brilliant, beautiful and both funny and sad. You will leave humming that catchy tune at the end. It's been sunny all week, and you can keep that beauty and sunshine going by paying a visit to this truly wonderful one act play from this up and coming group. They will be back, I have no doubt.