SIve at the Forum

Mike Glavin (Barry Barnes)finds himself between a rock and a hard place, aka his wife and his mother, in Sive. 

Abbey’s ‘Sive’ opens with standing ovation at Forum

The Abbey Theatre made a triumphant start to their Irish tour of the John B. Keane classic ‘Sive’ when they earned a standing ovation at the Millennium Forum in Derry on Wednesday night.

And it was well deserved. Keane’s play may cast a jaundiced eye at Irish society in the 1950s, but it’s shot through with humour and this excellent cast were each given a chance to shine. 

Overall it’s a production to be proud of from Ireland’s national theatre company, from the direction by Conall Morrison through to everything happening on stage. And the good news for those who haven’t seen it is that ‘Sive’ continues in the Forum tonight (Fri)* and tomorrow night before it heads off to what’s sure to be a hero’s welcome in Keane’s own Kerry. 

On the face of it, a story based on matchmaking in the rural Ireland of yesteryear seems an unlikely entertainment in 2014. But Keane’s play wears the years well. Its concerns will always be current - it’s a love story, a tale of lives twisted out of shape by circumstance and society, a caustic look at the dynamics of Irish family life. Keane, a publican by trade, had a wonderful way with language and a rare insight into character.

Deirdre Molloy gives a powerful performance in the central role of Mena Glackin, a woman whose own burden of poverty and bitterness   leads her to abandon all scruple when an old man seeks the hand of her niece, the orphan Sive (Roisin O’Neill). The matchmaker Thomasheen Seán Rua, devious and funny and played to considerable effect by Simon O’Gorman, holds out the prospect of a big payday if the elderly farmer Seán Dota (Derry Power) gets Sive to the altar.

Mena’s husband Mike (Barry Barnes), good natured but spineless, colludes with the enterprise despite the entreaties of his mother, the  elderly Nanna Glavin (Brid Ní Neachtain). Nanna, sharp but well meaning, sees the romance in the love between Sive and local boy Liam Scuab (Gavin Drea).  

Two travelling men (Frank O’Sullivan, Muiris Crowley) add noise, variety, song, commentary and fun during the play, an Irish version of the Greek chorus. They’re a reminder from the earliest days of theatre that when people anger the gods by acting in a selfish way, the gods will have their revenge.

The Abbey enjoyed stunning success with ‘Sive’ in Dublin earlier this year, when it was seen by around 30,000 people. Now it’s the privilege of the Forum to host the opening nights of what promises to be an equally successful tour, taking in nine venues, including Letterkenny, Belfast and the Abbey once again, right through until mid December. 

To book tickets or get more information, check out www.millenniumforum.co.uk or phone the box office on 02871 264455.

*written for publication on Friday 9th October 2014