A Prime Location

Clonmel's enterprising Galloglass Theatre Company is currently touring A Prime Location, a comedy with an inventive difference. Short plays by Johann Nestroy, Sean O'Casey and Miriam Gallagher are tied to a Georgian house and its changing fortunes, adding a fillip and a context to the satirical intent of the authors. It is a neat idea.

Nestroy comes first with Previous Relations, a clever upstairs-downstairs piece in which a wealthy young people seek to replace recently departed servants. Two are found, but it transpires that certain trails have crossed before, and that the new relationships have their complications. Much droll fun is generated before confused identities are eventually unscrambled and oil poured on troubled egos.

Bedtime Story is an O'Casey piece not often seen now. John Joe Mulligan, in digs in a run-down house, is a holy Joe, but succumbs one night to the temptations of the flesh as flaunted by the predatory Angela.

She exploits his remorse and naivety, and leaves his flat well rewarded for her time. He exits pursued by landlady, fellow lodger and others.

Finally, Kalahari Blues, a new playlet by Miriam Gallagher, brings the house up to the present as a rundown squat. Two young artists, writer and painter manquΘ, are working away when they are visited by a couple of weirdos representing a dot.com firm who have bought the place as a base for a virtual reality business. The story is rather opaque and not very funny, despite some energetic hamming by the actors.

Theresia Guschlbauer directs Ciaran Taylor, Una MacNulty, Ann-Marie McAuley and John Anthony Murphy, who play all the parts in all the plays; a symmetrical arrangement. They are very spirited and versatile in their various interpretations, and provide an evening of good-humoured entertainment.

Play tours next to Theatre Royal, Waterford, November 1st-3rd; Backstage Theatre, Longford, November 7th-8th; Dunamaise Theatre, Portlaoise, November 9th-10th; Civic Theatre, Tallaght, November 12th-17th)