The Arts Review​

Maria Oxley Boardman and Risteárd Cooper in Uncle Vanya. Image, Olga Kuzmenko **** Brian Friel had deep admiration for Anton Chekhov. His 1998 adaptation of Uncle Vanya , intriguingly directed by Cathal Cleary at Smock Alley Theatre, making it easy to understand why. Remove the Russian names and there’s something peculiarly Irish about Chekhov’s 1897 masterpiece, predictive of Eugene O’Neill and Tom Murphy. Wherein one family’s ties, lies and misdemeanours make up the meani

Seamus O'Rourke in The Sand Park. Image uncredited ***** Male monologues are enjoying something of a five star moment. Stuart Roche’s Shard , Jimmy Murphy’s The Kiss , and now The Sand Park by Seamus O’Rourke . A moving meditation on life, death, community and masculinity. Framed as a character study of a quiet man, widowed by grief, looking for something to do and someone to talk to. James Anthony Lowry Snr, settling down with his flask and mug onto a weather beaten bench

Neill Fleming, Carolyn Bracken, Eric O'Brien, Jed Murray in Horseshoe. Photo, Jaro Waldeck ***** Art is elevated by curious alchemies. That elusive X factor, a crackle of chemistry, the perfect light, chord, or brushstroke. Or by a holy alignment of cast, director(s) and screenplay. Alchemies realising something larger within the work. Like Horseshoe, the award winning, debut feature written by Adam O’Keeffe and directed by Edwin Mullane along with O’Keeffe. A taut tale set