The central character in Freefall has suffered a stroke. Marred by a childhood tragedy which wiped out his immediate family, he withdrew emotionally and lacked self-esteem. He has drifted through life and now it may be about to end. As he lies on his hospital bed, paralysed and unable to speak, he mulls over the events of his life without comment; the vignettes speak for themselves. It is easy to get exasperated with the character, but his status as a victim makes him worthy of sympathy. He falls between contempt and pity, as the question of whether he deserves this fate is left tantalisingly open for much of the play.

Action moves backwards and forwards irregularly from childhood to the days before his stroke, with smooth transitions between them - although at times they are so smooth that it takes a few seconds before it is clear the transitions have taken place. Occasional scenes between the main character and a dry-rot inspector show how the former has neglected his mental dry rot, which can no longer be ignored.

The central character is brilliantly played by Andrew Bennett, with his eyes showing a mixture of shock and powerlessness - the hallmarks of a stroke, but also the hallmarks of the character's life. The character's immobility due to his stroke is dealt with by him wandering through his past life in pyjamas, with a video projection above the stage occasionally showing through a stroke patient's eyes how doctors and family members bend over them to speak. This device works well as a reminder of the reality of what is happening to the character.

Damian Kearney, Louis Lovett, Ruth McGill, Janet Moran play a variety of roles. Janet Moran's performance as the wife is particularly impressive, in a scene where the patient manages to move one of his toes. Damian Kearney plays a strong comic role as the stepfather and clerical teacher. More comic relief is provided by the live off-stage sound effects for some mundane tasks, like tooth-brushing. Overall, the show is highly engaging and entertaining, with the long duration without interval passing by quickly. It has the right mix of serious themes and plenty of lighter relief.

(In the programme, the director states that they wanted to make a play about the abrupt end to the boom period in Ireland. This would make the main character's sudden stroke the metaphor for this change, but it is a highly subtle one and thankfully, there is little explicit reference to the economic crisis. In any case, the play stands up without awareness of this intended theme, as a study of wasted opportunities and the shock that comes with sudden change.)

Cast Credits: (alpha order): Andrew Bennett. Damian Kearney. Louis Lovett. Ruth McGill. Janet Moran.

Company Credits: Writer - Michael West, in collaboration with the company. Director - Annie Ryan. Set Designer - Kris Stone. Lighting Designer - Matt Frey. Composer & Sound Designer - Conor Linehan. Costume Designer - Debbie Millington. Video Designer - Jack Phelan. Technical Sound Designer - Ivan Birthistle. Technical Operator - uncredited. Violin Music - Cora Venus Lunny. Cello Music - Jane Hughes. Production Manager - Lisa Mahony. Stage Director - Mags Mulvey. Stage Manager - Clare Howe. Chief LX - Adrian Mullan. Production Photographs - Richard Gilligan. Graphic Design - Scott Burnett, Studio Aad. Associate Set Designer - Rebecca Lord. Interns and Social Media Maestros - Justine Nakase, Ciarán Doyle, Gillian Middleton. Assistant Producer - Áine Beamish. Executive Producer - Sarah Durcan. Company - The Corn Exchange. The Corn Exchange: Artistic Director - Annie Ryan. Website - www.cornexchange.ie.

END

(c) Colman Higgins 2009

reviewed Friday 9 October 2009 / Project Upstairs, Dublin, Ireland

Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2012

www.fringereport.com