The peeling wallpaper and the crucifix hanging above the bed have both been around for a long time. And so has Patrick Lynch, who is lying there motionless. Is he about to expire? “His condition isn’t listed in any book I know,” says Dr Soames (Michael Lumsden), shaking his head sadly. Father Ryan arrives, anxious to obtain a Confession before he administers the Last Rites.
But this is Ireland, and everything isn’t quite as it seems. A flicker of a reaction passes across Patrick’s face as Father Ryan passes judgement: “He has the face of an angel, and the mind of the Devil”. There’s a further reaction when neighbour Sarah Bennett (played by Henry Box School, Witney, pupil Natalie Ogle) arrives to pay her last respects, and makes her own confession: “I said terrible things about you to the men down at the Club,” she admits, “Talking about a tight purse, and a loose how’s your father”.
Thus begins Last Confessions of a Scallywag by Dwina Murphy-Gibb, widow of Bee Gees star Robin Gibb. This is her first play, and she has jumped straight in at the deep end with a farce. The result could have been a disaster, but Murphy-Gibb has a great ear for dialogue, and a strong instinct when it comes to developing a comic situation — especially an Irish comic situation. Born in County Tyrone, she has plainly drawn on her roots.
Director Sarah Berger sets a cracking pace, and moves swiftly over the occasional patch of dialogue that could still do with tightening up. Douglas McFerran tops the cast as Patrick, and plainly revels in every opportunity offered to him. Without giving too much away, Patrick rises from the near dead and reappears as his wife Bertha, who has long since fled to America. To avoid detection, he hides beneath an enormous black hat, leaving only downturned scarlet-painted lips visible. Prominent, too, is Keiran Flynn as unctuous and ambitious Father Ryan.
Cutting edge, alternative comedy Scallywag is not, but it provides an evening full of good, old-fashioned laughs.
Last Confessions of a Scallywag
The Mill at Sonning
Until September 27
Tickets: 01189 969 8000
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here