Heaven – Pavilion Theatre – Review

Fishamble: The New Play Company presents – Heaven – By Eugene O’Brien
5-9 March – Dún Laoghaire

In this production, we meet Mairead (Janet Moran) and Mal (Andrew Bennett). They are a couple in their 50s from the midlands of Ireland. They’ve returned to Mairead’s home town for a wedding. Mairead escaped to Limerick where she fell in love with Mal and married in her early 30s. Now, twenty years later she’s returned to find her home town much changed, with empty shops and only the ‘three-headed monster’ of Tesco, Aldi and Lidl surviving! At the wedding, she expects to see a man from her past, a former lover called Breffni.

Mal has his own problems. The passion has disappeared from their marriage, but was it ever truly there? Mal has a recurring fantasy of Jesus coming down from the cross and taking him in his arms. While at the wedding, he sees a young man who resembles his fantasy view of our lord!

This is a new work by ​playwright Eugene O’Brien and he’s back on familiar ground. O’Brien wrote Eden back in 2001, which explored a couple in their early 30s in the midlands, where we saw the lives of Breda and Billy. Now, just over 20 years later he’s writing about a group of 50-somethings in the midlands! It’s always best to ‘write what you know’ and so much in this production rings true, with authentic characters and experiences. This production explores the psyche and inner workings of those who live in the midlands of Ireland and does so with aplomb.

The two cast members really embrace the characters. They are both problematic characters with many flaws but we are allowed to view them as rounded individuals. We hear the positives as well as the negatives and make up our own minds about them. Janet Moran as Mairead is a strong-minded feisty woman, who speaks her mind! Her devil-may-care attitude has led to problems in her relationship with her daughter. Mal is a gentler character, and Andrew Bennett shows a man who has repressed a part of himself for many years.

The play is presented as a series of monologues, with no interaction between the two characters. It was originally staged as part of the Dublin Theatre Festival in 2022 and has now returned for a tour of Ireland and the UK. It has already received a string of plaudits, and won Best New Play at the Irish Times Theatre Awards, along with Best Actress for Janet Moran. As a piece of writing it feels fresh and lively, with some hilarious moments but also insights and well-developed characters. The performances of the two main characters are perfectly judged and believable. There are few flaws in this gem of a production.

WINNER IRISH TIMES AWARD FOR BEST NEW PLAY
WINNER IRISH TIMES AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS
WINNER SCOTSMAN FRINGE FIRST AWARD

Upcoming Performances:

5-9 March – Dún Laoghaire

11-12 March – Theatre Royal,Waterford

14-15 March – Esker Arts Centre,​Tullamore

19 March – Hawk’s Well Theatre, Sligo

22 March – Siamsa Tíre, Tralee

25-26 March – Lime Tree Theatre, Limerick

Creative team
Production team

​Playwright Eugene O’Brien
Director Jim Culleton
Set Designer Zia Bergin-Holly
Costume Designer Saileóg O’Halloran
Lighting Designer Sinéad McKenna
Music & Sound Designer Carl Kennedy
Dramaturg Gavin Kostick

Producer Eva Scanlan & Laura MacNaughton
Production Manager Eoin Kilkenny
Associate Producer Cally Shine
​Stage Manager Stephanie Ryan
Assistant Stage Manager Laura Murphy
Assistant Production Manager Daire Ó’ Muirí
Chief LX Síofra Nic Liam
Production Coordinator Ronan Carey
Marketing Allie Whelan
PR O’Doherty Communications
Set Construction Andrew Clancy

Cast
Andrew Bennett
Janet Moran