Taking the dichotomy between the safe romantic certainties of bodice-busters and the complexities of real-life relationships, actress/comedienne Michelle Read has fashioned a highly entertaining and thoughtful play about the war between the genders.
Read plays Anna, a boozy Mills 'n' Boon-type writer whose passionate prose is very much at odds with her real-life relationship. Hallucinating violently, one of the stock characters from her books, Minnie, comes to life to lend a sisterly hand. Minnie (marvellously acted by Natalie Stringer) is a cheery buxom cockney maid type, very Barbara Windsoresque. Their conversation develops into a debate about Minnie's role in Anna's books, punctuated by musings about feminism. The token male, another character from Anna's book, Lord Beaston (played by Ciaran McMahon with textbook romantic hero aplomb), joins in the fun.
Fast, furious and humorous, the show is a delightful trawl through pulp fiction.
Romantic Friction continues until this Saturday in Andrews Lane and then tours to Kilkenny, Edinburgh, Kilmallock, Listowel, Longford, Ballybofey, Dundalk, Cootehill, Sligo, Limerick, Kilworth, Tinahely, Cork, Portlaoise, Kiltimagh and Galway. For information, contact 01-4722285.
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