There was a special interest with the excellent London Classic theatre production of The Beauty Queen of Leenane. Connie Walker, who played Maureen Folan so well was returning to her family city and her grandmother, the wonderful Hannah Daniels, was in the capacity audience.
Walker was so impressive, with a full-on aggressive, bitter and revengeful portrayal of the sometimes crazy girl trapped into caring for vengeful, spiteful mother, who feared being dumped in a home. Such was the intensity of her performance that I saw aspects of the character that I missed in the famous Druid production that the late Anna Manahan won a Tony in.
London Classic Theatre, have been coming to Waterford for about ten years and they have earned a reputation for quality work and Michael Cabot is a meticulous director who delivers the goods.
This production illuminated many of the strands of madness, bitterness and lonely craziness that Martin McDonagh is rightly famous for.
The Co. Wicklow actress Paddy Glynn was wonderful as the spiteful, fearful May Folan. Brendan Fleming was a fine Pato Dooley and I loved the nervous, fidgety energy of Alan Devally as Ray Dooley. Kerry Bradley’s design was wonderful.
