Review: The Plough And The Stars (Bristol Old Vic Weston Studio)

Review by Seth Wilby

⭐⭐⭐

Seán O’Casey wrote his “Dublin Trilogy” at a time when Ireland was violently transforming. The third instalment, The Plough And The Stars, shifts focus to the tenements of the 1916 Easter Rising, capturing the struggle of those living normal, working-class lives. In a timely centenary production, graduating students from Bristol School of Acting bring their reinterpretation to Bristol Old Vic’s Weston Studio.

O’Casey’s play follows a four-act structure, gradually escalating tensions: the first represents frictions in typical Dublin life; the second heightens the political fervour; the third finally delivers on drama, with the uprising erupting into the streets; and the fourth gives us the emotional payoff, delivering a tragic conclusion for our characters’ stories. It’s a marathon of a play, with O’Casey’s archaic, uncompromising style demanding extreme focus to weave the narrative thread. And it's for that reason that it, unfortunately, seemed like a poor choice in this context.

There’s something about these mammoth plays that feels slightly out of place in a studio setting- the text doesn’t really seem to suit the intimacy of the space. The plot is complex, and the nuances are hard to get across, despite the cast’s best efforts. This is all not helped by the confusing decision not to mic the strong Irish accents, and the fact that, as students, the cast all play quite young, so different relationships and statuses are hard to gauge. Despite this, however, you find yourself, by the end of the evening, surprisingly focused, with the play and performances compelling enough to hold your attention.

The play has certainly been well cast amongst the cohort, with each performer seeming very well suited to their roles. Each moment is played with a realism and emotion that suggest genuine examination of characterisations and motives, yet sometimes this does come at the detriment of the story, with the cast forgetting that the audience knows far less about the text than they do. Particularly in the first act, this over-familiarisation prevents clear exposition to the audience, meaning we never fully understand who each character really is, and are left on the back foot for the rest of the play.

This is a cast showing genuine promise as performers, particularly in the more emotional moments. Distress is clearly the favoured emotion, and it certainly pays off, yet clearer escalation towards these moments could be shown, to prevent them from feeling so sudden and sporadic. One stand-out mention must go to Yzabelle Walker, who excels in portraying the arc of Nora Clitheroe- her Blanche-DuBois-style descent into hysterical madness is the play's most powerful moment, and accomplished perfectly.

Throughout the two-and-a-half-hour runtime, though, you can’t shake the feeling that a clearer direction would help portray the plot more understandably. Director Stuart Wood has some strong moments (the use of video is smart, and Cat Fuller’s scaffolded set is used well), but any sense of purpose is lost in the more dialogue-heavy scenes. The cast seems not to know whether to direct their speeches towards the audience like a narrative monologue or to treat them like a conversation with other characters in the scene, and this obscurity leaves some moments with an unshakably awkward feeling. This is a marathon play that feels like it, and that’s an issue.

As so many interpretations do, this production seeks to ‘modernise’ the play, yet it attempts this rarely, with occasional use of a TV remote or mobile phone. Since the text and narrative still feel so distinctly 20th century, this felt unnecessary, and the play should probably have stayed as a period piece. That said, there is one clear payoff to this approach, with an added final visual proving a chilling piece of commentary on the modern landscape. More of this would have made this a far more timely revival, with other themes just waiting to be exploited.

The Plough and the Stars is a tricky text, and these students handle it with purpose and promise. Unusual directorial choices and an unclear portrayal of the plot inhibit its impact, but by the second half, the cast seems to have settled into it a lot more, and there are enough moments of quality to ensure the emotional power of the piece is not lost.

THE PLOUGH AND THE STARS plays at Bristol Old Vic until 18th April. Tickets from bristololdvic.org.uk/whats-on/the-plough-and-the-stars

Photos by Craig Fuller