Heather Matthews, Jason Meyers, and Teresa Doggett in The Beauty Queen of Leenane. Photo by John Lamb
“The Beauty Queen of Leenane says… goodbye.”
The Albion Theatre company presents us with another masterful work of Irish storytelling—this time, from acclaimed playwright and director Martin McDonagh. McDonagh is best known to Americans for his tragicomedy films In Bruges and The Banshees of Inisherin, both starring Colin Farrell. His stories peel back the pastoral tranquility of rural Ireland to reveal deep-seated anger, desperation and trauma. McDonagh’s skill at writing acerbic, deadpan dialogue—delivered by deeply flawed and morally confused characters—has earned favorable comparisons to Tarantino. His talent was on full display as far back as ‘96, when The Beauty Queen of Leenane was first performed. A sordid tale of missed connections and caretaker burnout, the story will be uncomfortably relatable to many theatergoers. Hopefully they can find a healthier outlet for their frustrations about fading youth and demanding parents than the tragic beauty queen.
In her youth, Maureen (Heather Matthews) dreamed of marriage to a handsome, adoring husband; he would whisk her away to another land, far from Leenane, far from her nagging mother and her cramped, smelly cottage. At age forty, Maureen is no closer to her dream. She still lives with cantankerous old Mag (Teresa Doggett), who becomes needier with each passing day. Maureen’s sisters would rather not get involved. Her only visitor is Ray (Austin Cochran), a fast-talking, foul-mouthed neighbor with a remarkable gift for holding petty grudges.
Wallowing in self-pity, Maureen seems resigned to a miserable middle age—that is, until she hears about the farewell party for Ray’s American uncle. She may get a chance to talk to Ray’s single brother Pato (Jason Meyers), who left Leenane for London years ago in search of work in construction. Maureen almost misses her connection, thanks to Mag’s lies and meddling. It seems Mag is desperate to keep her daughter at home and unmarried; her deceit will have dangerous consequences.
Fans of The Banshees of Inisherin will notice some familiar tropes: abuse of friends and family, madness, mutilation, the feeling of entrapment and the desire to escape at any cost. It’s a grim affair, but it’s leavened by the uniquely Irish gallows humor that has sustained a people through generations of deprivation and exploitation. Class conflict and intergenerational trauma are major themes of the story. Maureen and Pato both took ill-fated trips to England in search of freedom and opportunity, yet returned to Leenane aimless and somewhat broken. Teresa lives in the same sad, sagging house, tightly clinging to her fading memories of the past. Parochial Ray, meanwhile, has no discernible ambition beyond drunken conflicts with coppers and settling old scores over swingball. The actors breathe life into these damaged characters with impressively confident delivery and Irish lilt.
This was my third experience with Albion Theatre company. Each show has had a distinctive flavor, and the talent of the actors, designers, and tech crew never fails to impress. Beauty Queen takes place entirely in the cramped kitchen of a tumbledown Irish cottage, convincingly recreated on stage. The walls and cabinets are dotted by leaks and streaks; the cabinets are full of porridge, Complan (served lumpy, of course), and the dreaded Kimberly biscuits (which this reviewer tried—the texture was crumbly, yet mushy, but I rather liked the ginger aftertaste). An old radio dutifully plays sentimental song requests, while a flickering TV casts a ghostly glow on Mag between scene changes.
The Beauty Queen of Leenane will be performed at the Kranzberg Black Box Theatre (501 N. Grand Blvd.) from now until March 30. Tickets can be purchased on the website for $24-34 (plus fees). Enjoy the warm hospitality of company director Robert Ashton and the Kranzberg’s friendly staff and volunteers; then, brace yourself for a chilling tale. | Rob Von Nordheim
