Signature Theatre's 'The Lt. of Inishmore' is Brilliant

If you winced during Sweeney Todd during the song "Ephiphany" when the Demon Barber of Fleet Street sings as he cuts the throats of customers because "they all deserve to die", stay away from The Lieutenant of Inishmore which runs through November 16 at the Signature Theatre.

On the other hand, if you can just leave reality at the door before you step into the intimate 112 seat Ark Theatre, you will be treated to one hilarious afternoon of non-stop hilarity that occurs during an intermission-less one hour and forty minutes and I guarantee you will not ever look at your watch.

I've become a huge fan of the Irish playwright Martin McDonagh. I've seen The Beauty Queen of Leenane on Broadway, the powerful Pillowman at Signature, and the unforgettable comedy The Cripple of Inishmaan at the Everyman Theatre.

The Signature gets you in the mood offering Irish beer for only $3. As you walk into the theater, you're serenaded with lovely Irish music. The marvelous set design by Daniel Conway features a typical small cottage on one of three Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland due west of Galway, Inishmore.  You notice a box of Frosty's cereal (similar to Frosted Flakes) in the kitchen (which later plays a major part), photos of President John F. Kennedy, Pope Pius XII, an old stereo cassette player, and a little window above the sink. To the left of the cottage is an area used for other scenes which looks like the slate that could have come from the famous Burren area in Ireland.

There is much violence portrayed, but in a funny way. Are you scratching your head? You've never, ever, seen so much blood on a stage in your life and much credit must go to the Herculean task of the stage-hands who can clean a kitchen incredibly fast. Congrats to Kate Olden (Production Stage Manager) and Zachary W. Ford (Assistant Stage Manager) and their crew.

Dialect Director Leigh Wilson Smiley has done an amazing job with the Irish accents. I swear I thought I was at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin. A difficult task was undertaken by Fight Director and Choreographer Dale Anthony Girard and he did his job well.

The story involves a young revolutionary Padraic (the marvelous Karl Miller) who loves nothing in the world more than his black cat Wee Thomas. While he is on the mainland (he belongs to a splinter group of the IRA), his father (the brilliant John Lescault) and teenage dimwit neighbor with long red hair, Davey (Matthew McGloin) are tasked to care for Wee Thomas. Well, Wee Thomas, begins the play on the kitchen table having already used up all of his nine lives. They fear what will happen when Padraic returns.  When Padraic is informed of his love doing "poorly", he rushes home and well, all hell breaks lose.  Davey's 16 year old sister Mairead (a star in the making Casie Platt) is an expert with a rifle. (Platt will perform in the Signature's upcoming Little Dog Laughed.) I won't divulge what her expertise is.  The Cast also includes great performances by Jason Stiles (James), Tim Getman (Christy), Michael Glenn (Brendan), and Joe Isenberg as Joey.

Director Jeremy Skidmore (a Signature Theatre Artistic Associate)  somehow is able to pull this all together. And he does he ever succeed!!

If you are looking for a good laugh, don't miss The Lieutenant of Inishmore. It runs through November 16.

For tickets call703-573-7328 or visit www.signature-theatre.org.

Next up at the Signature, Les Miserables which begins December 2 and ends January 25. By special permission from producer Cameron Mackintosh, this is a brand new version that will feature 30 actors, 138 costumes, 14 piece orchestra, and a five-ton steel set. Tickets are now on sale.

For comments, write to cgshubow@broadwayworld.com.

Photo courtesy of the Signature Theatre