As The Beast Sleeps

When Gary Mitchell's bleak play was premiered at the Peacock Theatre in Dublin in 1998, under Conal Morrisson's direction, it made an understandably strong impact on its audience, with its fearless portrayal of Northern loyalism, ripped to shreds internally by the conflicting - and confusing - demands and conditions of the peace process.

What a pity that it was not staged shortly afterwards on home territory, where, given the time that was in it, its message would have been even more attentively received.

Three years later, events have moved on and, as every blink of the peace process becomes the subject of detailed scrutiny and examination, the play reads almost like a drama-documentary, a graphically-illustrated political analysis.

Still, it remains a scrupulously-written and tightly-plotted piece which peels away the interlocking layers of loyalty - to family, friends, party, country, cause, paramilitary chain of command - with clinical, unflinching focus.

John Sheehan's final production for the Lyric is sound and thorough, efficiently acted by a very good cast which in the second act concertedly turns up the heat on the tense thriller this play was always meant to be.

If the long first act lacks an essential edge of danger, it scores on articulate, intelligent delivery and fine production values.

Stuart Marshall's revolving set flicks from drinking club to family sitting room, from cramped office to grim punishment cell. The pounding sound track - Springsteen, Stiff Little Fingers, Dolly Parton - takes on a personality of its own.

As the action turns in on itself, Robert Donovan's smiling, sinister Kyle, Colum Convey's aspiring hood Larry, Sean Kearns's dimwitted Norman, Michael Liebman's mouthy, disgruntled Freddie and Abigail McGibbon's deceptively sweet-faced Sandra are led, by a lethal combination of ambition, fear, greed, ignorance and loathing down a path which we really do not wish to watch them travel.

It may be a three-year-old play, we may prefer to consign its contents to the ranks of dramatic fiction, but that is too easy an option, as we are chillingly and constantly reminded.

Runs at the Lyric Theatre until May 19th