A Play, a Pie and a Pint: Trouble and Shame @ Oran Mor

It’s a menacing scene: a balaclava-clad man stands over another lying prostrate on top of a trunk.  The darkness of this setup is quickly undermined by the adroit and humorous approach by playwright David Ireland’s in his new play Trouble and Shame.

Armed with Greggs and IRN-BRU, Glaswegian Hunter Baxter (Paul Riley) attempts to end the conflict in Ireland. The Irish First Minister Paul Cupples (Robert Jack) and the Deputy First Minister Patsy McMillan (Veronica Leer) come from opposite ends of the political spectrum.  Baxter simply believes that if they could just talk then they could sort it all out. So he kidnaps them.

It’s a cracker of a play.  Beautifully written, it is full of wordplay.  At times some of this seems laboured but then it surprises with a bigger pay off. 

The athleticism of the writing is matched by the three actors’ physical comedy chops.  There’s a lot of funny business with sausage rolls and much falling over. And it’s quite a treat to see the politicians leaping about like energetic snakes. 

Just beneath all this humour and farce is a country’s very complex history.  As it explores the idea that talking could lead to understanding and understanding to peace, Trouble and Shame unpeels layer by layer and moves from the political to a more personal sphere.

Director Phillip Breen ekes every bit of comedy and pathos from his fine actors.  Met with much applause, it is a great start to A Play, a Pie and a Pint’s new season.