by Paul Gillis
Solas Nua, a company that specialises in all things Irish, are producing "The Drunkard" by Tom Murphy. It is essentially an old-fashioned melodrama, complete with top-hatted villain and helpless maiden. Of course it deals with the evils of demon drink.
The story is long and satisfying, the laughs are plentiful, and a fair amount of John Barleycorn is consumed before we reach the end. And the villain is roundly booed and hissed.
Oh, it also has a poor widow, an innocent child, a madwoman, a crusading philanthropist, and several alluring ladies of the evening. And very good music, performed live.
It seemed a strange coincidence to me that I saw two shows in a row Saturday (this one and Koun Kukki) which each featured life-size puppets and a character who once won an award for calligraphy. I wondered if perhaps there had been a contest, like the 48 Hour Film Project.
"The Drunkard" runs every day till the end of the festival, at Georgetown University's Devine Theater.To see more pictures from this show, go to http://paulgillis.phanfare.com/album/338390/482325#imageID=21999597
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