THE ALLEY THEATRE
www.alleytheatre.org
Gregory Boyd, Artistic Director
Dean R. Gladden, Managing Director
 

PRESENTS

THE LIEUTENANT OF INISHMORE

January 25 - February 24, 2008

Neuhaus Stage

(L-R) Elizabeth Bunch as Mairead and Chris Hutchison as Padraic in the Alley Theatre production of Martin McDonagh’s The Lieutenant of Inishmore.  The Lieutenant of Inishmore runs on the Alley’s Neuhaus Stage January 25 through February 24, 2008.  For more information visit www.alleytheatre.org.
Photo by T. Charles Erickson

SO CLOSE TO THE ACTION, YOU CAN ALMOST TASTE THE BLOOD

Martin McDonagh’s Gruesome Comedy, The Lieutenant of Inishmore Runs on the Alley Theatre’s Neuhaus Stage through February 24, 2008

by Theresa Pisula
January 30, 2008
theresa@houstontheatre.com

A Warning from the Alley:  The Lieutenant of Inishmore contains extremely violent scenes that some may find disturbing.  There is also loud gunfire, adult language, adult situations and extremely graphic blood violence.  This play is not intended for those audiences who might be easily offended.  No cats were harmed in the creation of this production.

 If you are expecting to see the most hysterical, bloody, gory comedy, The Lieutenant of Inishmore by Martin McDonagh does not disappoint.  As my associate Kathleen Reed described it, “It’s like a cross between Fargo and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.” 

 When compared to Fargo, several similarities pop up.  One main component is the gruesomeness, when you consider the amount of blood that is shed.  And the comedy is just so hilarious.  But with all the blood, guts and gore spilling out, the hilarity is almost accompanied with nervous laughter.  Because you don’t know when and where the next butcher knife is gonna cut or when the next gunshot is gonna shoot and you don’t know if it’s gonna be you.

Yeah, you’re that close.  You can almost taste the blood.

Another similarity is the thick use of the local town accent.  And when I mean thick, I mean slowly syrupy dripping thick full of the town culture of origin.  With Fargo, it’s the upper Midwestern accent of North Dakota.  With The Lieutenant of Inishmore, it’s of the thick and wicked Irish accent of the small town of Inishmore, where a one-syllable word like “shit” is turned over into 3-syllables pronounced “shee-yi-aiite”.

The scene opens with two characters, John Tyson as Donny and Brandon Hearnsberger as Davey examining a dead cat.  They are debating on why the cat died.  Dear poor old Thomas, the black cat.  And then you see a man hanging from the ceiling, like a chandelier, upside down, with blood running down his body.  Why, you may ask, is blood dripping down the length of his torso?  Is it because he is in the middle of his punishment?  The torturer, the Lieutenant of Inishmore named Padraic is played by the ruggedly handsome Chris Hutchison.  Padraic thought it would be best that this hanging man deserves such torture so that he took the pains of removing the toenails off the tortured man’s feet.  This man is being punished because he is a drug pusher of marijuana.  His name is James and he is played by Justin Doran. 

And getting back to the accent, I have to say this, just to get it out of my system.  While Donny and Davey were arguing about whose dead cat, this lifeless carcass of a cat belongs to, they mentioned the name Porrick.  “It’s for Mad Porrick,” they said.  That’s how I heard his name.  Porrick.  That’s what it sounded to me: Porrick, like porridge but ends with a ck.  The real name is PADRAIC.  How did I get Porrick out of Padraic?  I don’t know, but it’s that thick Irish accent that is so wicked, it’s really hard to understand.

“As much as I hate those bastards,” Padraic explains as he refers to the IRA, “they can make a decent bomb.” 

Padraic the torturer, however, starts crying after he hears about his dead cat.  He was first told by telephone that the cat was “doing poorly!!!” because his dad and a friend wanted to break the news to him gently.  But that’s his best friend in the world.  Thomas the black cat is his best friend in the whole wide world. 

 So, that tortured hanging man gives his torturer some advice on his dying or dead cat.  Maybe so he can buy himself some time.  You know what I mean?  Before he gets killed.  But he doesn’t get killed.  Because his torturer had to hurry up and leave to get home so he can see his dead or dying cat.  The props and the cat by the way are provided courtesy of the director Gregory Boyd.

 The design team for Lieutenant of Inishmore includes scenic and lighting design by Alley Artistic Associate Kevin Ridgon; costume design by Judith Dolan; sound design by Garth Hemphill; and fight director Steve Rankin (Alley’s Treasure Island, Broadway’s The Fansworth Invention and Jersey Boys).

 And then you see a brother and sister arguing about the dead cat.  The sister is pointing a gun at her brother.  A 12-gauge shotgun.  No, a fuckin’ assault rifle in his face.  She is lookin fashionably fine and stylin' in her Doc Martens hi-top leather combat boots.  She looks kinda like Winona Ryder or Angelina Jolie in her short pixie haircut.  Her name is Mairead and she is played by Elizabeth Bunch.  She wears her Doc Martens with a pretty dress or in her tight sexy jeans rolled up at the end seams.  But always, always with the most favorite accessory she simply can’t wear without – blood.  Doesn’t matter whose. 

The next scene, her brother Davey is trying to paint this orange cat black.  So that, I guess the lieutenant doesn’t get mad after he finds out his cat is well again.  And then someone mentions something about the INLA, the Irish National Liberation Army. 

So the lieutenant comes home for his wee Thomas.  And he screams, “Where’s my cat?  Where’s my fucking cat?  Heh?”  He shot the black-painted orange cat and blood splatters all over the poor guy’s face.  “Is wee Thomas dead now?  Answer me!” demands Padriac the lieutenant.  And then he does this speech about how “you’ve killed my cat and you’ve ruined my life.”

And then the bad guys come out (or are they the good guys?).  And the lieutenant shoots all their eyes out.  They try to hug each other but they keep missing.  The others argue but they couldn’t see.  Their eyes are literally blood shot.  The lieutenant finally wipes them all out with the help of the girl.  And you know which girl it is, the Doc Martens girl.  There’s only one girl.

May I remind you that this is the one that won the Winner of the Olivier Award for Best Comedy.  There are decapitated bodies.  And so much blood.  They’re literally swimming in it.  And a slippin' and a slidin'.  Oh, let me assure you, you’re gonna laugh.  Especially when you find out that he had to dig up his own cat.  And then he slowly pets it.  Makes you just smile and wonder – just who thought about this shit?

Martin McDonagh received an Evening Standard Award nomination and an Olivier Award for Best Play for the National Theatre production of The Pillowman.  The New York production at Broadway’s Booth Theatre culminated in a Tony nomination for Best Play.  McDonagh’s first play, The Beauty Queen of Leenane, received a Best Play Tony nomination in 1999 and was the first in his Leenane Trilogy, which also includes a Skull in Connemara and The Lonesome West, for which he received his second Tony nomination for Best Play.  The Cripple of Inishmaan, the first of his trilogy of Aran Island plays opened at Britain’s National Theatre and transferred to the Public Theater.  His short film, Six-Shooter, won an Academy Award for Best Short.  McDonagh’s feature film debut as a writer / director, In Bruges, opened this year’s Sundance Festival and will be released to theatres this month.

What a hottie!!!  I mean, can this guy get any hotter?  He doesn’t even have to be here in Houston, Texas.  Not physically anyway, just in spirit.  The spirit of his written word.  How cool is that?  Oh and did I mention the fact that he’s all over the fuckin' Sundance film festival?  Whatever. 

Chris Hutchison as Padraic in the Alley Theatre production of Martin McDonagh’s The Lieutenant of Inishmore.  The Lieutenant of Inishmore runs on the Alley’s Neuhaus Stage January 25 through February 24.  For more information visit www.alleytheatre.org.
Photo by T. Charles Erickson

So getting back to the lieutenant’s story – the girl and the lieutenant - they hook up.  He says, “I used to have a list of valid targets but I lost it in a bus.”  And then it ends with a bang.  I can’t tell you what happened.  Although I will leave you with this one query:

Out of all the guys in these pictures, who is the real Lieutenant of Inishmore?

Martin F. McDonagh.  You can figure out what the f stands for.  Hey, it’s not like I’m trying to be a hater.  Maybe I’m just a little bit jealous because my written word is not as powerful as his.  Just a little bit.  But I don’t think anyone can deny the fact that right now, Mr. McDonagh is sizzlin' hot.

The Lieutenant of Inishmore is generously supported by Honorary Producer Randall Jamail.  The Alley Theatre is supported by the 2007 – 2008 Season Sponsor Continental Airlines, the official airline of the Alley Theatre.  The Lieutenant of Inishmore is directed by Alley Theatre Artistic Director Gregory Boyd and runs through Sunday February 24, 2008. 

TICKET INFORMATION.  Tickets to The Lieutenant of Inishmore can be purchased at www.alleytheatre.org at the Alley Theatre Box Office, 615 Texas Avenue or by calling 713-220-5700.  Groups of 10 or more can receive special concierge services by calling 713-315-3346.  The added convenience of reservations by phone or Internet is available for a nominal fee. 

(L-R) Elizabeth Bunch as Mairead and Chris Hutchison as Padraic in the Alley Theatre production of Martin McDonagh’s The Lieutenant of Inishmore.  The Lieutenant of Inishmore runs on the Alley’s Neuhaus Stage January 25 through February 24.  For more information visit www.alleytheatre.org.
Photo by T. Charles Erickson

-0-0-0-0-0-

 
THE LIEUTENANT OF INISHMORE

CAST

DONNY…………………….JOHN TYSON
DAVEY……..................…….BRANDON HEARNSBERGER
PADRAIC……................................………..CHRIS HUTCHISON
JAMES……............................………….JUSTIN DORAN
MAIREAD…………..........…………….ELIZABETH BUNCH
CHRISTY…............................…………..TODD WAITE
BRENDAN…………............................………..JEFFREY BEAN
JOEY…………............................………..JOHN PAUL GREEN
 

SETTING

The play is set in 1993 on the island of Inishmore, County Galway.

-0-0-0-0-0-

Congratulations to Martin McDonagh who won the 2006 Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film for SIX SHOOTER. Martin McDonagh wrote and directed the Oscar-winning film as well as having written this year's play THE LIEUTENANT OF INISHMORE at the Alley Theatre.