Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Irish Rep mounts an utterly ideal revival of Sean O’Casey’s JUNO AND THE PAYCOCK

• By drediman
• April 18, 2019
• No Comments

Maryann Plunkett and Ciaran O’Reilly in the Irish Repertory Theatre’s production of “Juno and the Paycock” by Sean O’Casey.

Last weekend, I caught a matinee performance of Irish Repertory Theatre’s Off-Broadway revival of Sean O’Casey’s Juno and the Paycock, one of the best known and well-regarded plays in the long, distinguished canon of Irish plays. Set in 1920s Dublin during the Irish Civil War, the play tells the story of the Boyles, a dysfunctional, lower class family that crashes and burns over the course of three acts.

I can’t imagine a more ideal production than Atlantic Theater Company artistic director Neil Pepe’s revival of the seminal play, which has been beautifully judged to capture both the play’s vibrant vitality and ultimate tragedy. His staging of Juno and the Paycock follows the equally superb revival of O’Casey’s more obscure The Shadow of a Gunman as the second of three plays to be presented as a part of Irish Rep’s ambitious “O’Casey Cycle” (the forthcoming The Plough and the Stars is set to start previews this weekend). All three plays are performed on Charlie Cocoran’s immersive, exquisitely detailed tenement set, which significantly contributes to their gritty authenticity.

As for the cast, they’re pretty darn ideal, as well. The heart of the production is unquestionably Maryann Plunkett’s Juno, who is giving one of the finest performances of the spring. Her acting (she was so exquisite in Richard Nelson’s Apple and Gabriel plays at the Public) is never less than luminous throughout. The emotions Ms. Plunkett generates come from a place of deep-seated empathy for Juno and her plight; it’s a performance that quietly took my breath away. Not quite her equal but still excellent is Ciaran O’Reilly, whose work as the boisterous Captain Boyle (a.k.a., the “Paycock”) is just about pitch perfect. The rest of the cast, which includes a roster of Irish Rep regulars, shine brightly in their hardy, wonderfully detailed characterizations.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

JUNO AND THE PAYCOCK
Off-Broadway, Play
Irish Repertory Theatre
2 hours, 15 minutes (with one intermission)
Through June 21