TVJerry.com

Bloomsday (review)

Bloomsday (review)

Bloomsday (review)

THE PLAY: A couple meets in Dublin, 35 years after their first encounter. They also travel back in time to meet their younger selves.

 

THE PRODUCTION: This is a genteel story with wistful writing carried out in long scenes of dialogue. As a result, it requires a strong production to make it interesting. The performances are genuine, but the two younger members of the cast (Lydia MacFarlane Watt and Jordan Stroud) are more successful at bringing the words to life. Their interactions in Act 2 are the only time when the play becomes truly involving. Her accent is strong and he needs to pull his hair back (it blocks his face in several scenes). Director Jimmy Mello has done little to boost the play’s reflective sentiment. The pacing is slack and the staging is mostly stationary. The set design by Mike Fletcher and Joe Bly features an interesting streetscape with hints of architectural details and book pages scattered about. Instead of obviously period clothing, Alison Eichler’s has opted for generic costumes. Running time: 1:25

 

THE POINT: The quiet sentimentality of this play is seldom brought to life by this production.

 

2.5 out of 5 stars (2.5 / 5)

 

At Chamberlayne Actors Theatre thru 2/22

 

Martha Kelly & Mike Fletcher (Photos by Daryll Morgan Studios)