Tirade For Three/Vagrant

an adeptly stylised exploration of the nature of love, lust, deception and fear

Article by Paul Mitchell | 14 Aug 2006
Padua playwrights, pride of New York's Off-Off Broadway movement, present two shows, played consecutively. Murray Mednick's 'Tirade For Three' certainly has aspirations of grandeur. Gary (the excellent Christopher Allport) converses desperately with a chorus from his own psyche (Shawna Casey and Jack Kehler) who sardonically call him 'the King'. His sense of failure is profound but compounded by the severe anxiety felt upon learning of his son's murder. The ambitious premise of this piece often gets mired in its own complexity and is slightly unrewarding as a result, despite the terrific portrayal on stage.
Vagrant has a distinct noirish atmosphere; like L.A. Confidential or Sin City played out in the Twilight Zone. Shop owner Meyer (Allport again) is not quite forthcoming with the truth when confronted by LAPD officer Larkin (Andy Hopper). Every character carries at least one dark secret which becomes more intricate with each twist in the narrative (and there are lots). What's the nature of Meyer's business? Is his young wife Patty (Niamh McCormally) more a hooker than a seamstress? Is Larkin really a cop? Guy Zimmerman's script never quite resolves any of these issues, but it is an adeptly stylised exploration of the nature of love, lust, deception and fear.
Southside, until Aug 28, 17:00, 8.50 (£6.00)