The Curious Savage

Since curtain-up on Sligo Drama Circle’s presentation in Sligo Town Hall last week of John Patrick’s three act play, “The Curious Savage”, I have learned that some people who saw the production considered that “The Curious Savage” was a curious play. I can’t, perhaps, altogether blame them for that, because to many members of the Sligo audiences who saw the play it was definitely different to what they may have come to expect and what they have been used to seeing hereabouts for some years past. It was a play with humour that called for the chuckle rather than the bellow; a play in which comedy and pathos were balanced on a razor-edge and, indeed, a play which I thought would be equally as well enjoyed on second viewing as well as on the first, because it has a depth and fascination which could easily be missed in parts on first seeing no matter how intent the concentration.

I was completely captivated by the performance of the Drama Circle. It was quite obvious that they took this play – which, incidentally, had never before been presented in Ireland – and they realised that in it they had a vehicle which called for very deep, serious and well planned character studies. It was in one sense a pageantry of characterisation. Each member of the cast was called upon to project a very definite character, and there was none of the milk and watery bit-parts that are to be found in so many offerings of the modern theatre. And what a really magnificently brilliant job did the entire cast make. All the interpretations were delightful. There was an all-round tremendously high standard level of acting that was maintained throughout. Indeed one of the really successful elements of the production was this evenness of playing which ensured a very impressive smoothness.

As this is the Drama Circle’s festival production this year, and as I feel confident this paper will be publishing comments of praise upon the individual members of the cast during the next few weeks I do not consider it necessary for me to add my tributes to the separate players. Rather, instead, do I group them together and say to them that their performance as I saw it merits high commendation. If in their festival appearances they maintain their high level of acting on the plane they achieved on the night I saw them perform, then I feel confident they should make a really strong bid for All-Ireland honours this year. And the cast have indeed been well served by their producers who quite apparently worked with real enthusiasm to present a play which calls for skilful acting, a well designed set, carefully planned lighting and good effects. To each requirement the producers gave the necessary care and attention.

Having said so much in praise I feel sure I may add just a few notes of criticism. I would have preferred to have seen less and fewer of the backstage staff whenever the door opened into the “patients'” apartments. I thought the split level stage should not have been so split level; that the upstage section should have seemed more a definite part of the room and less like a little platform. There were one or two, but one definitely, bad pieces of masking and I failed to understand why one of the male members of “The Family” should have walked so far through “The Cloisters” with his hat on him and then even kept it on for a while still after he arrived in the living room. All small points one might say. But then when one is dealing with a production of such general merit as “The Curious Savage” one tends to look for small points – as the players themselves will no doubt realise only too well before their travels on the festival circuit are over.

The cast was as follows: The Guests – Florence, Ann Bourke; Hannibal, Brian Bohan; Fairy May, Gerry Boyle; Jeffrey, Vivian Francis; Mrs. Paddy, Ruth Crampton. The Family – Titus, Paddy Dooney; Samuel, Liam Mc Kinney; Lily Belle, Marie Mulvihill; Ethel, Lottie Bourke. The Staff – Miss Willie, Monica Toher; Dr. Emmett, Eddie Fitzpatrick. The Child, Paddy Dooney Jnr. The Producers were Eric Gregan and Una Lappin; Stage Managers, Joe Meehan and Jimmy Gilmartin; Lighting, Joe Lally; Set Design, Eric Gregan; Sound Effects, Eamonn Brazil.

from The Sligo Champion, by T.P., March 23rd, 1963