Paul T Davies reviews David Ireland's play Ulster American now playing at The Traverse Theatre at the Edinburgh Fringe.
Robert Jack, Darrell D'Silva and Lucianne McEvoy in Ulster American Ulster American The Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh Fringe
16 August 2018
5 Stars
David Ireland's stunning new play builds on the reputation he made with the award winning Cyprus Avenue. Jay, an Oscar winning actor, is meeting Leigh, an ambitious theatre director, who has cast Jay in a new play by Ruth, a Northern Irish playwright. They all dream of success, but as the situation escalates it becomes obvious that no one is going to win any awards on this gig. Jay sees it as an opportunity to connect with his Catholic roots, but his dreadful accent is only a minor problem as Ruth has written about the Troubles from a Protestant point of view.
This is a comedy that leaves you open mouthed with laughter and shock in equal measure, as Ireland goes to places even Martin Mcdonagh may fear to shed! Due to a question Jay poses, which I won't reveal, Ireland raises the stakes higher than Arthur's Seat, and the pay off is incredible. An excellent cast land every punchline perfectly and the insenserity of certain political correctness is torn apart as each character crosses every line. Darrell D'Silva is excellent as man spreading, ego driven, opinionated actor Jay, a bear of insenserity prowling around his own fame. Robert Jack is hilarious as director Leigh, who claims he is such a feminist he wishes he was trans, and Lucianne McEvoy outstanding as playwright Ruth, refusing to let the men have the upper hand.
Ireland takes no prisoners as he mercilessly lays into hypocrisy in the mother of all arguments that delights with its destruction of theatre, Hollywood, identify and culture. The audience genuinely shout out in shock, such is the delight in the words said. This may be the play of the Fringe, if not the year, fight for a return ticket and hope for a tour!
BOOK NOW FOR ULSTER AMERICAN
Paul is a playwright, director, actor, academic, (he has a PhD from the University of East Anglia), teacher and theatre reviewer! His plays include Living with Luke, (UK tour 2016), Play Something, (Edinburgh Festival Fringe/Drayton Arms Theatre, London 2018), , (2019), and now The Miner’s Crow, which won the inaugural Artist’s Pick of the Fringe Award at the first ever Colchester Fringe Festival 2021. In lockdown 2020 he created the audio series Isolation Alan, available on Youtube, and performed online in the Voice Box Festival. He is the founder member of Stage Write, a Colchester based theatre company, and his acting roles include Rupert in How We Love by Annette Brook, first performed at the Vaults Festival 2020 and revived at the Arcola and at Theatre Peckham in 2021. Follow: @stagewrite_
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