The Brightening Air at The Old Vic Review
Written by Becky for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
Olivier award-winning Conor McPherson debuts his new play The Brightening Air at The Old Vic. Blending traditional Irish folklore themes with family drama, the production is an exquisite exploration of the human search and understanding of the meaning of life.
Set in 1980s County Sligo, siblings Stephen (Brian Gleeson) and Billie (Rosie Sheehy) have never left their family home, chugging along with life in their falling-apart farmhouse. When family guests suddenly start arriving, the motives for their visit start to emerge, leading to a deeper questioning of belief and fulfilment throughout the performance.
McPherson directs the relationship dynamics with vibrancy, letting the humour of the script flow with ease. A stand out is Chris O’Dowd’s performance as troublemaker brother Dermot. O’Dowd bulldozes onto the stage, arrogantly teasing the other characters on stage and never misses a beat with his comedic timing. Similarly, Sheehy’s excellent performance as Billie was delivered with brutal sarcasm that landed well.
There was clear flexibility in the script, with the laugh of the evening going to O’Dowd’s quick-witted comment on The Vatican needing his priest uncle Pierre (Seán McGinley), made in light of the recent passing of Pope Francis. The natural fluidity of the script, and the pertinent relationship dynamics on stage all added to the authenticity of the performance.
Theme-wise, McPherson explores existentialism throughout, masterfully weaving the magical elements of Irish folklore, the grasp of religion and intangible human hope. A particularly successful development was the progression of Pierre, in which McPherson makes a commentary on conspiracy theories and ‘wokeism’. McGinley’s portrayal of Pierre, a blind priest who begins to see when evil is presented in front of his eyes and subsequently decides to start his own religious following based on his own ‘awakening’, is a clever and clear nod to the current online issues of radicalisation presented within social media.
McPherson describes the mystery of life to be ‘mirrored with darkness’, and just like theatre, full of uncertainty. The darkness intensifies as the production progresses through the well-thought-out set design by Rae Smith. As Act Four begins, up-stage becomes obscured by shadows, with characters being able to hauntingly disappear within them. This is used magnificently towards the end of the production through Billie’s speech to Stephen. As Stephen disappears into the darkness, Billie’s final comments directed to nothingness leave the audience with an extremely poignant ending, thanks in part to Sheehy’s outstanding delivery.
Running until 14th June, The Brightening Air is another welcome edition of McPherson’s scripts to The Old Vic’s programme. A lot of complex questions are raised, many left unanswered, and audiences - like myself - are invited to reflect on their own nuanced conclusions.
★★★★
