DAVID PARNELL'S first ii play is set in the familiar theatrical terrain of Dublin's flatland, where Eros rules OK. Licking the Marmalade Spoon follows the fortunes in love of two young women sharing an apartment, and of the two young men in their lives. One affair goes well, and the other goes down and out.
Perversely, the liaison that thrives and prospers is that of the bed-hopping Carla, an American who, having discovered the joys of Dublin's do Ice vita, has remained for five years in sundry waitress jobs. She invites James, a son of Killiney's middle class, to her bed on their first date; a sure sign that true love has arrived, and so it proves. It is only a matter of time before they live together, and even marriage is not out of the question.
It is different for Louise, more intelligent and just a shade neurotic. She meets Ross on a parachute adventure and they take a little more time. But she lacks a sense of security; when Ross gets an offer of promotion in his Canadian head office she handles it badly and disrupts their relationship. Her subsequent disorientation leads to tragedy.
The getting-to-know-you sequences in the first act are witty and naturalistic, and the author displays a keen ear for the amicable battles of the sexes. He has a good sense, too, of what the stage allows. Paul McAuley's set, an open circle of carpet with a settee and two free-hanging doors, lets the characters move around freely, particularly the absent Ross, who wheels around it on a tricycle, a chorus-cum-participant device which works well. The theme remains slight, but it is milked with some exuberance.
The seams come apart in the second act, when Louise's growing despondency takes over the action. The naturalistic dialogue gives way to overblown sentiment, the plot swerves into melodrama and bathos, and credibility of characters and situation yields to contrivance. The author's own direction, as is so often the case, lacks objectivity here.
He has, however, given much evidence of writing ability, and has elicited four intelligent and attractive performances from his cast. Barry Barnes, Catherine Walsh, Jennifer O'Dea and Paul Meade are in fine form, striking sparks from each other and their audience. The evening may not be completely successful, but there is much to enjoy in its youthful energy and talents.
