Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The improbably-plotted ON BLUEBERRY HILL brilliantly scores with its quietly thrilling storytelling

• By drediman
• February 8, 2019
• No Comments

David Ganly and Niall Buggy in Fishamble’s “On Blueberry Hill” by Sebastian Barry at 59E59 Theaters. Photo by Patrick Redmond.

Before closing last weekend at 59E59 Theaters, I had the opportunity to catch Sebastian Barry’s two-hander On Blueberry Hill, courtesy of Dublin’s Fishamble company. Set in Ireland, the play – an offering at this year’s Origin 1st Irish Festival – tells the story of two unlikely inmates, Christy and PJ, who are each imprisoned for committing pretty horrific crimes towards the other. If I were to describe the play, I would say it is a cross between Manuel Puig’s Kiss of the Spider Woman (for its emotional intensity and humanism), Neil Simon’s The Odd Couple (for its oddball pairing and humor), and anything by Martin McDonagh (for its, at times, uncompromising bleakness).

And I would also throw the works of the great playwright Conor McPherson into the mix. Indeed, as with many an Irish play (particularly Mr. McPherson’s), the focus here, and rightfully so, is on the storytelling. And for much of On Blueberry Hill, it’s spellbinding, particularly the stretches of narrative before each get imprisoned (note, though, that the play is narrated by the two men from their cell). In essence, the play is comprised of two interlinked monologues, both filled with exquisite imagery that brands itself fiercely into the mind’s eye. However, the later “scenes” that take place in prison, although undoubtedly dramatic, just seem too improbable to fully ring true.

It’s a testament to the brute strength of the two actors in Fishamble’s production that the play succeeds as brilliantly as it does. As Christy and PJ, respectively, Niall Buggy and David Ganly are mesmerizing in their depiction of these two deeply flawed but very human characters. As the older, throughly blue collar Christy, Mr. Buggy powerfully captured both the character’s gruffness and inherent goodness. And as the “soft” Christy, Mr. Ganly proved eloquently compelling as the deeply conflicted priest. The play was directed with simplicity in mind, smartly highlighting the On Blueberry Hill‘s quietly thrilling storytelling.

RECOMMENDED

ON BLUEBERRY HILL
Off-Broadway, Play
Fishamble at 59E59 Theaters, courtesy of Origin 1st Irish Festival
1 hour, 40 minutes (without an intermission)
Closed