In Barbara Brennan's epic version of the 'Losers' History of Dublin, street names tell their own story. Tosser's Pot leads to Cutpurse, then Pokes Alley to Kiphouse Row. Set in 1880, the choices for the residents of the tenements in the inner city are starkly limited and life is cut short by poverty, disease or violence.
A narrative spanning 100 years of life in this building follows four families whose lives intersect across generations, with trauma – especially for women – recurring, echoing the O'Casey spirit. The historical background is sketched in broad strokes: from strikes in the slums to revolution and war, to the early years of the independent state, to the heroin and HIV crises of the 1980s.
Brennan weaves a thread through time with the character of Honour Gaffey (Sarah Morris), a sex worker determined to challenge her circumstances, as a 'sludge woman', whose great-granddaughter, also convincingly played by Morris, breaks the old patterns and starts writing a novel.
Honour's 'Bluebottle' son (Thomas Kane Byrne) brings comic relief as a შემთხვევითი პატრიოტი in the 1916 Easter Rising. Her is one of many historical figures Brennan weaves in for a decidedly anti-heroic effect: we meet James Joyce, Padraic Pearse and Brendan Behan, as well as a Bob Geldof/Bono-like singer. A gallery of scoundrels passes by, of violent, deceitful, or pitiful men – politicians, priests, idle writers – who quickly pass, sacrificed for the narrative momentum.
With a cast of 19 who are on stage throughout, the storytelling is subtle, sprawling – and sometimes overwhelming. Functioning as a constantly shifting chorus, the multi-talented actors are in a whirlpool of exposition and costume changes, playing over 120 characters in three and a half hours.
With so much narrative packed in, the form often gets in the way of director Carolyn Brierney doing more than moving the actors across Jamie Waran's impressive set. Creating a cross-wise design, the stacked set offers dramatic possibilities that are not fully realized. Despite the ambitious scale of this production, its dedication and sharp energy, its overflowing canvas leaves little room for new insights.
