Fun Home – Gate Theatre – Review

Music by Jeanine Tesori
Book and Lyrics by Lisa Kron
Based on the Graphic Novel by Alison Bechdel
Photo Credit: Ros Kavanagh.

This musical is based on an autobiographical graphic novel by Alison Bechdel. Bechdel was born in Beech Creek, Pennsylvania, in 1960. In this piece, we see her at three stages of life. As a pre-teen child (Small Alison played by Chloe Cody and Jodi Kaye) desperate for the attention of her father and trying to make sense of the world. We also meet her as a young woman (Medium Alison played by Orla Scally) going to college, and coming out as a lesbian. The final version of Alison (Frances McNamee) is a middle-aged woman, trying to convert her life story into a comic strip. This version of Alison also acts as the narrator of the piece, commenting on and cringing at her earlier actions. The other main character in the story is Alison’s father Bruce Bechdel (Killian Donnelly). He is a complex man, an English teacher in the local school but he has a secret which is revealed early on in the production.

The graphic novel Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic was published in 2006 to much critical praise. If you’re a fan of comics aimed at ‘mature readers’, Bechdel is one of the more prominent names. She wrote the comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For which ran from 1983 to 2008 and was syndicated to many gay and lesbian newspapers. She may also be known to some for the Bechdel test, which Alison herself described as a ‘lesbian joke’ to evaluate whether a film is sexist or not.

The graphic novel Fun Home is an unusual choice for conversion to a musical, but there have been many unusual musicals in recent years as writers start to explore the genre and push it in new directions. The play was the Winner of five Tony Awards including Best Musical. The play was also nominated for the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Drama but lost out to The Flick by Annie Baker.

The musical score is one of the few traditional aspects of the play. It has Music by Jeanine Tesori (Shrek The Musical (2008), Kimberly Akimbo (2021)) with Book and lyrics by Lisa Kron. The pair won the Tony for Best Original Score for this work in 2015. In this production, the band are on a balcony above the stage and just about visible throughout the performance.

Despite the adult themes being discussed in the production, the young cast is prominent and adds great life to the production. At one point, they create an advertisement for the Funeral Home and perform a Jackson Five inspired song called “Come to the Fun Home” complete with dance moves. It’s a lovely scene and one of many moments where the younger cast members come to the fore.

The play is mostly set in the family home, which doubles as the Bechdel Funeral Home, the family business which they jokingly refer to as the Fun Home. We see behind the curtain of this perfect American family. While on the outside, it all seems tranquil the reality is quite different, as they sing “Everything is balanced and serene / Like chaos never happens if it’s never seen.”

There are so many moving parts in a musical, and it is quite an arduous task to get everything right. Director Róisín McBrinn deserves high praise, as it would be difficult to find serious fault with any aspect of the production. The music is bright and effervescent, with the live band adding to the atmosphere. While the original production is 10 years old, this musical seems fresh and original. The script contains many moments of humour, along with some dark and troubling aspects. It is a superb ensemble performance from the cast but the performance of Killian Donnelly as the complex character of Bruce Bechdel stands out. If you’re a fan of musicals, you’ll love this groundbreaking work.

Fun Home runs at the Gate Theatre, Dublin until 26th August

Cast

Killian Donnelly is Bruce Bechdel
Frances McNamee is Alison
Orla Scally is Medium Alison
Nichola MacEvilly is Helen Bechdel
Jade Kennedy is Joan
Riain Cash is Roy / Mark / Pete / Bobby Jeremy

Junior Cast

Chloe Cody is Small Alison
Jodi Kaye is Small Alison
Seán O’Callaghan is John
Trystan Rhys Bruen is John
Harley Cullen Walsh is Christian
Ethan O’Connor is Christian
Band
Bass – Neville Llyod, Michaeal Riordan
Guitars – Gavin Smith, Karl Breen
Reed – Dave McGauran, Martin Meegan
Precussion – Paul Byrne, Peter Sullivan
Cello – Doireann Kelly, Yseult Cooper Stockard

Creatives
Music by Jeanine Tesori
Book and lyrics by Lisa Kron
Adapted from the graphic novel by Alison Bechdel
Director: Róisín McBrinn
Set Designer: Paul Wills
Costume Designer: Lara Campbell
Lighting Designer: Sinéad McKenna
Sound Designers: Jody Trehy and Jason Fallon
Musical Director: David Hayes
Choreographer: Jennifer Rooney
Movement Rehearsal Director: Róisín Whelan
Video Designer: Neil O’Driscoll
Casting: Maureen Hughes Casting
Casting: Amy Rowan Casting
Sound Operator: Cian Murphy
Associate Musical Director: Denise Crowley
Associate Musical Director: Jimmy Brockie
Lighting Programmer: Alan Mooney
Video Programmer: Eoin Robinson
Costume Dresser: Sarah Higgins
Costume Dresser: Tiel Starzynski
Costume Maintenance: Rebecca Bowtell
Costume Maintenance: Megan Cassidy
Menswear Tailor: Gillian Carew
Costume Maker: Denise Assas
Hair and Make-up: Sarah McCann
Production Manager: Marty Moore
Assistant Production Manager: Grace Halton
Interim Company Stage Manager: Cian Mulhall
Deputy Stage Manager: Donna Leonard
Assistant Stage Manager: Sarah Purcell
Assistant Stage Manager: Niamh Williamson
Chaperone: Lucy Richards-Smyrk
Stage Management Intern: Andrew Dawson