The Chronicles of Long Kesh

The Chronicles of Long Kesh
By Martin Lynch. Directed by Lisa May & Martin Lynch, Musical Director: Paul Boyd. Merrigong Theatre Co. in collaboration with Belfast-based Green Shoot Productions. Illawarra Performing Arts Centre. Apr 6 – 9, 2011.

'The Chronicles of Long Kesh' tells some of the stories of the inmates of the notorious Maze prison, site of the famous 1981 hunger strikes in which ten inmates eventually lost their lives. This is not, however, their story. The Chronicles of Long Kesh tells the tales of a number of inmates, both Republican and Loyalist, as well as the trials and tribulation of one of the guards.

While a show based around such charged and dark topics could easily have become morbid and depressing, the intense energy produced by the cast kept the show moving smartly along, with sparks of wit and motown hits providing an excellent counter to keep the show entertaining. With minimalist being the watchword for the design side, the actors took what could have been a bland piece of theatre and made it sparkle with their sheer physicality. Often the audience had only subtle clues that an actor had transitioned from one role to another, but the actors were so clear and crisp in their transitions that subtle was all that was really necessary.

The direction was excellent, with simple changes creating stunningly effective changes both in character and scene, and the overarching story comprehensible and enjoyable.

Despite a sometimes frenetic pace, the audience was given plenty to think about by the text of the performance. As a somewhat negligent history student, I only knew of the Troubles, and was concerned that I might be inundated with information that would leave me floundering, but the text as a whole was easy to understand and required almost no previous knowledge to comprehend and enjoy.

Overall, a darkly witty look at an incredibly interesting time in Ireland's recent history, with a spectacular performance by the stellar cast creating a very enjoyable night out for all. I take my hat off to them!

Timothy Gillis-Jones

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