What the Animals Say at Finborough Theatre Review
Robbie Martin and Matthew Blaney. Photo: Gavin Watson
With fast-paced dialogue and fully realised characters, David Ireland’s play about the complexity of Irish nationality is thought-provoking and a lot of fun.
First produced for a lunchtime theatre programme in Glasgow back in 2009, What the Animals Say is one of Ireland’s earliest works. He writes, “this play is shamefully autobiographical”, which makes sense; it is clear there has been a lot of care in the writing of both the lead characters.
The play, although without an interval, is distinctly divided into two acts.
The first act is set in Stranraer ferry port, where two men are sat waiting for their way home back to Belfast. We are immediately introduced to Jimmy Culver and Eddie Harrison who, on the surface seem to be complete opposites. Jimmy is a professional actor, or an aspiring one at least. Eddie is a professional footballer and, as he tells us, the “greatest [footballer] this country’s produced since Georgie Best.”
We come to learn that Jimmy and Eddie went to primary school together, and though they have chosen vastly different lives, they are slowly revealed to have more similarities than differences.
Jimmy is struggling to land an acting job or be taken seriously by peers, and struggles with his identity and self-worth as a result of this. He’s just got an audition for Mel Gibson’s latest project, and he really wants to book it. And Eddie plays for Celtic, despite being a Protestant, which renders his celebrity status a bit controversial, and causes confusion in his own identity.
Not much actually happens in the first act. The dialogue is witty and moves quickly, and it culminates in Eddie asking Jimmy to join him for drinks next week. Jimmy agrees, and there is a quick blackout.
We skip to act two, where there’s been a significant set change. Instead of the ferry port, we are now in a trailer. One of the men is learning his lines for Mel Gibson’s new feature film about The Troubles. But it isn’t Jimmy.
It’s a very interesting concept, and maybe one that would come across better on screen than on stage. The second act feels a bit out of place with its more slapstick quality and, when the play comes to a head, you can’t help but wonder why the play has ventured into the ridiculous.
The performances are stellar. Matthew Blaney is charming as the hopeful socialist Jimmy Culver, and Robbie Martin is impressively adept at playing the clueless Eddie Harrison. They have fantastic chemistry on stage, and you instantly root for these two unlikely friends.
Playing at the Finborough Theatre until 24th October, What the Animals Say is an entertaining watch with some brilliant performances, but feels like it has unreached potential.
★★★★
Written by Sarah P for Theatre and Tonic, September 2026.