Ag Cla∅ na Muice Duibhe

The ancient earthworks that straddle the border provide a suitably bleak backdrop for Vincent Woods's raw, powerful drama, At The Black Pig's Dyke, translated by SΘamas ╙ Scola∅. They also give him a fascinating metaphor to explore the seismic cultural fault lines dividing two communities. He paints an unsparing portrait of Border life, where the slights of the past are never forgotten and codes of honour are inviolate.

Ag Cla∅ na Muice Duibhe is a complex statement about violence, divided loyalties and sectarian hatred. But it is people, not issues that matter most in this play and its characters are living embodiments of the twisted logic of the Troubles. The doomed love affairs of Lizzie and Sarah Boles achieve genuine tragic resonance. There is also an underlay of Irish folklore and the mummers (whose straw masks could just as easily double as balaclavas) provide moments of light relief as well as placing the Troubles in an older, more primitive context. This remarkable production features a cast that reads like a who's who of Irish-language drama. There are many strong performances, notably from Audrey N∅ Fhearghail, Br∅d N∅ Neachtain and Darach Mac Con Iomaire. Macdara ╙ Fβtharta cuts a convincing figure as the villain, while Pβdraic ╙ Tuairisc is outstanding as Tom na Gaoise, a kind of comic touchstone for the unfolding tragedy. SΘamus ╙ Scola∅'s translation is true to the original and is aided by Monica Frawley's imaginative design. What a pity, though, that the stage was cluttered by extra seating. Director Mael∅osa Stafford ensures that the brutalities of sectarian bloodletting are properly represented.

A tour de force.