Shard at Viking Theatre Review
Written by Ciarán for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review. All views are our own
There are few better places to enjoy theatre than a room above a pub – it may, in fact, be the ideal setting for watching a play. Perhaps it’s the in-built atmosphere, the inherent link that pubs have with storytelling, and the custom of collective viewing in relation sports. Having said all that, though, the answer may just be the easy access to alcohol. In any case, Dublin is chronically underserved for rooms above a pub as a venue for theatre. This makes a trip to the Viking Theatre a delight, and even more so in the case of Stewart Roche’s Shard. Simple, effective storytelling, a powerful performance from Neill Fleming, and the union of the seafront location and the maritime setting of the play combine for a short, sharp evening’s viewing.
The room is small, as it should be; tight and cosy. There are chairs placed on a low platform either side of the central area, which has only a small set of steps and another low, oblong block at one end. At the other side of the room, there’s a small pot of tea and some biscuits – have they been left there, or are they part of the show? We soon get our answer, as the filthy, frantic Fleming bursts through a small door, scrambling around, practically grunting, until he spies, and devours, the tea and biscuits. He begins to explain his appearance, filling us in on his back story.
It’s a familiar one, but with a nice modern twist. Fleming is Spooner, a contemporary man who had been living a detached, listless life in Dublin; corporate job, no family or children. He details how he spent his time arguing in the more conspiratorial realms of Facebook and Reddit, plagued by the Long 2016 Culture Wars spawned by Donald Trump and Brexit. His solution is to answer a mysterious call to arms in a local paper, which brings him to a house where he meets the charismatic, enigmatic Kemp – also portrayed by Fleming, who becomes rigid, domineering, and eerily still when playing the part, in sharp contrast to Spooner’s manic presentation.
The story then becomes a relatively familiar one, as Spooner details the genesis of Kemp’s commune, and their mission to live independently on a remote island. Following the common structure of “Paradise gained, Paradise lost”, all is initially well, until it isn’t. The story Spooner tells is a folk horror amalgamation of HG Wells (the name “Kemp” is surely a reference to The Invisible Man, right?) and Lost, with a smattering of The Shining. This is not to poke holes – on the contrary, Roche has used these sources texts exceptionally well, employing their mood and tropes, playing on our expectations, and adding myriad local and contemporary jokes, references, and commentary.
At the heart of this show is Fleming’s performance, which I’m obliged to describe as a tour-de-force – his relentless recitation of a horrifying tale never falters, and he artfully uses the arrival of a late, noticeably drunk, and comically clumsy audience member, and later a ringing phone, to the work’s advantage. Fleming has the confessional demeanour of a sinner before their priest, without the craven apologetics – no matter the events he’s describing, he retains a core of cool pragmatism and rationality. There is also a deeply human side to how he describes Spooner’s drifting life, initial optimism on the island, and then the demise of Kemp’s commune.
Being a small room above a pub, the Viking Theatre is never likely to be able to go big on pyrotechnics. This doesn’t matter with a performance of Fleming’s strength and Roche’s tight script, but Colm Maher (Lighting Design) and Amelia Anello (Sound Design) both have innovative moments that elevate passages and scenes. Elizabeth Boykewich’s costume is spot on, and to his eternal credit, Fleming’s feet truly do look to be as filthy as his character’s should be.
Overall, this is a rewarding, pleasurable way to spend an evening, and fans of horror fiction and film in particular will find much to enjoy. The play is about to go on tour, playing venues everywhere from County Laois to New York, via Dublin on Bloomsday. If they’re lucky, they’ll have rooms above pubs to rival the Viking, and if we’re lucky in the capital, more pubs will follow their lead and take advantage of their space.
Plays at the Viking Theatre at Connolly’s – the Sheds, Dublin until 16th May
★ ★ ★ ★
