Conference tallis::celt

978.0. "Shay Duffin ( Brendan Behan and more )" by CTHQ3::COADY () Thu Dec 05 1991 09:53

( from Boston Globe, without permission )

                   Devilish delights from the old and new
                             by Matthew Gilbert

When Shay Duffin comes onstage, he gives a serious-mock-serious bow to a 
small library of James Joyce.  It sets a jovial tone for "The Importance of 
Being Irish," an amusing, if anarchic, one-man performance of storytelling, 
stand-up, song and general all-purpose Irish nostalgia.  Duffin's tireless 
Irishness is a wonder, and there is plenty o'fun here for the layperson.

Duffin, born in Dublin and don't you forget it, splits the evening roughly 
into two parts.  The monologue before the intermission mostly makes fun of 
his Dublin youth, with tales of Spady the gravedigger and general Our 
Gang-esque antics.  The monologue after the intermission mostly makes fun of 
being Irish in America, with elaborate tales of using the word crack - which 
means conversation in Ireland - in the United States.  Just havin' a bit 
o'crack, officer.

It all blends together, though, into one huge portrait, including famous 
Irish people such as Christy Brown and Yeats and Parnell alongside Duffin's 
own characters - such as Nurse Two-Snip Foley, who cuts infants' umbilical 
cords and foreskins at the same time.  Except for a few off beats, Duffin's 
delivery is rhythmic and hypnotic, a most musical speech that seems at times 
like a song.  And indeed, at times Duffin does burst into song, inviting the 
audience to join on the likes of "When You Were Sweet 16."  Duffin does a 
lovable imitation of one Scooper MacNulty, who dips on "Danny Boy" rival the 
best sleazy lounge singers in the world.

The informality of the evening is pleasant, but at times leads to 
redundancies.  As the many small "Leave It to Beaver"-goes-Irish vignettes 
accrue, you might wish for some new territory.  You might wish for a bigger, 
more overall theme.  All the stories of naughtiness begin to sound a little 
too similar, maybe a little too idealized and soft.  Some tragedy or edge 
wouldn't hurt.  The show feels more like a great dinner with a grand host 
than theater.

And yet there's plenty to enjoy, as Duffin tells his clever tales and "Danny 
Boy" hangs in the air.  Even if you've never stood on the banks of the 
Liffey, the show may leave you feeling a bittersweet pang of old Dublin 
town, along with a respect for a man who can find such delight in his 
history and heritage.

(Copied without Permission)

    
    
    I went to see his Brendan Behan show last nite.   Its 2 hours of
    brillance, covers all Behans life - thru his days as a house painter, in
    Borstal prison, Paris ( as a pimp ),  to his days of misery in the pubs
    of Dublin before dying of cirrosis at 41 yrs.
    
    He does a great job of gulping pints thru the show.
    
    
    I'd highly recommend it, if you have a few hours to spare.
    
    Both shows are on in Beacon Hill Playhouse ( which is no 54 Charles ST
    Boston.    I think both start at 20:00 and finish at 22:00.
    
    You may need to reserve at w'end for the James Joyce one, but the Behan
    show runs Tue, Wed & Thurs and it was only half full last nite, which
    was a pity.
    
    As Shay said - support Irish theatre ... it keeps him in pints.