Sive – Gaiety Theatre – Review

Gaiety Productions presents John B Keane’s classic masterpiece, Sive. – until the 16th of March 2024
Duration: 2 hours 20 minutes including interval

The play is set in a farmhouse in Kerry, in the 1950s. Sive (Sade Malone) is a young woman who lives with her Nana (Fionnula Flanagan), along with her Aunt Mena (Norma Sheahan) and Uncle Mike (Patrick Ryan). She attends the local convent school and seems quite dedicated to her studies. Despite being friendly and good-natured, Mena holds Sive in contempt and there is no love lost between the pair. Sive’s mother died when she was a child and her father is nowhere to be seen. When the local matchmaker, Thomasheen Seán Rua (Denis Conway), pays a visit to the house, it’s clear he intends to marry the girl off. An old man from the area, Seán Dóta (John Olohan) has his heart set on Sive, despite being closer in age to her Nana. When Thomasheen first discusses the proposal with Mena, she’s against the union, but when she hears what is on offer to her and her husband, her views start to soften.

The iconic roles of the two travellers, Pats Bocock and Carthalawn, are played by Steve Wall and Larry Beau. They only have a small amount of stage time but make quite an impact, with some comedic and musical interludes, often moving the plot along with their insights.

This play was written by John B Keane and first performed in Listowel, County Kerry in 1959. It is one of Keane’s most loved works and has been performed many times, including in the Gaiety in 2018. This is a new production directed by Andrew Flynn.

The action takes place entirely in the kitchen of the house where Sive lives, with the various characters coming and going from the room. The Set Designer Maree Kearns has created a space with stone walls on two sides. The back wall of the set is left open, allowing a view of hills and a constantly setting sun.

This play is on the leaving cert course this year and it would be easy to recommend the production to anyone studying the work. It makes the piece come to life to see it in the hands of such a capable cast. While the younger generation is very far removed from the world depicted, with the referendum on the definition of the family currently being debated, it shows that many of the issues of the play are still relevant today. The three main actors in the piece are Fionnula Flanagan, Norma Sheahan and Denis Conway, and there are some great comedic moments of them sparring and bickering on stage, particularly in the first Act. It’s a vibrant production that has something for everyone.

Starring:

Fionnula Flanagan (The Others, The Guard, Waking Ned, Smother)
Norma Sheahan (Bridget & Eamon, Moone Boy, Shirley Valentine, The Matchmaker)
Sade Malone (Hope Street, Pistol, My Left Nut)
Denis Conway (Hangmen, The Lonesome West, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, Aisha, Brooklyn),
Patrick Ryan (Vikings: Valhalla, Game Of Thrones, Pure Mule)
John Rice (professional stage debut)
John Olohan (Bodkin, They May Face The Rising Sun)
Larry Beau (Irish songwriter, whistler and troubadour)
Steve Wall (The English, The Witcher, Rebellion, Moone Boy).