A Review of The Cripple of Inishmaan

by Emily Schulten

The Cripple of Inishmaan opened April 27th at the Red Barn Theatre. This performance is both delightful with laughter and full of longing, a show that will broadly entertain. The play takes place on the island Inishmaan in Ireland, and when we find our cast of characters, they are excited by the rarefied news that a Hollywood film crew is filming nearby.

Playwright Martin McDonagh weaves intrigue into this 1934 Irish community using gossip as his instigator. The dialogue in The Cripple of Inishmaan is witty, and the characters bring to the stage quirks and interactions that keep the audience laughing. The characters become more rounded in light of their relationships to one another, and the actors in this production highlight one another’s personalities in their performances as their characters meander through Inishmaan.

Embedded in the storyline is also a sense of entrapment. These characters on their small island yearn for wandering and freedom, while simultaneously trying to convince themselves that their predicaments are satisfactory, a sentiment echoed in the refrain line, “musn’t be such a bad place.” It is seldom convincing, however, as throughout these characters encounter prisons in various forms: the island, the sea, physical impairments, illness, and, a time or two, even an actual jail cell.

The cripple of Inishmaan, Billy Claven, is played by Arthur Crocker. Crocker illustrates the both the strength and vulnerability of Billy, despite the people of Inishmaan doubting him in almost every way. Billy has been, since being orphaned as an infant, taken care of by Eileen and Kate Osbourne, played respectively by Vanessa McCaffrey and Peggy Montgomery. These two are quick to doubt Billy’s capabilities, but much of this is actually because they need him to depend on them: caring for him is their whole lives.

Johnnypateenmike, played by Doug Shook, is the primary vessel for gossip. His character is nosey and sneaky and mouthy, but he is also attached to the people of the town, whom he visits daily to deliver any “news.” He is a thorn in the side of everyone, including his 90-year-old Mammy O’Dougal, played by Robin Deck, but he also creates for the town the sense of action they so long for.

Siblings Bartley McCormick, played by Charlie Lawrence, and Helen McCormick, played by Aleister Eaves, fancy themselves better off than the town cripple, but they too are in search of something better. Eaves entertains the audience with her portrayal of the character’s playful and blatant mischief, and Helen serves as an outlet for excitement in the town, making as much fodder for Johnny’s gossip as she can. Babbybobby Bennett, played by Ross Pipkin, makes some surprising and important decisions that drive the plot, and Doctor McSharry, played by Tom Murtha, serves as a voice of truth, which isn’t always easy to find in the town of Inishmaan.

Inishmaan ends both hopefully and with despair, which is fitting for a show that will keep you laughing and also confront characters’ disappointments. You can catch this show from now until May 14th, Wednesday through Saturday nights at 8:00 p.m. at The Red Barn Theatre at 319 Duval Street. Find out more and purchase tickets by phoning 305-296-9911 or online at RedBarnTheatre.com.

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