Review: ‘Juno and the Paycock’ – “tugged at the heartstrings”

“Th’ whole worl’s in a terrible state o’ chassis!” Thus rings the refrain in Seán O’Casey’s Juno and the Paycock, brought to Leamington’s Loft Theatre this February by director Gus MacDonald. World-weary Juno Boyle (Mary MacDonald) is trying to keep her crumbling family together during the Irish Civil War, but her husband ‘Captain’ John Boyle (Tom O’Connor) – more like another child than a partner – seems more intent on avoiding work at all costs and drinking himself to death with his wastrel friend, Joxer Daly (Phil Reynolds).

In the aftermath of the deceptive illusion of a family inheritance, broken promises, betrayal and hopelessness, the family’s trials are set against the sinister backdrop of the ‘Staters’ and their dogged pursuit of the Boyles’ son Johnny (Jimmy Proctor). O’Casey presents his play as a combination of comedy and tragedy, and MacDonald’s ensemble brings out the comedic aspects of the script to a somewhat mixed effect – moments of sharp repartee contrasted the more insincere instances of slapstick humour and farcical joviality. The tragic aspects of the play however, were beautifully shown: Angie Collins as Mrs Tancred enlivened one of the most moving scenes with her grief after her son’s death, and the merciless removal of Johnny from the room at the end of the play tugged at the heartstrings.

O’Casey presents his play as a combination of comedy and tragedy in the aftermath of the deceptive illusion of a family inheritance.

According to Gus MacDonald, “the secret to the play’s success is the depth and colour of its characters”, and this was partially conveyed in his production. Proctor excelled as Johnny – a tough character to play, since it requires a lot of stage presence but no direct involvement with onstage action. The horrifying effects of war manifest themselves both physically and emotionally: his intense outbursts were by no means melodramatic, and brought out the ominous elements of the play well. This imbued the idea that “no man can do enough for Ireland” with darkness. Mary MacDonald depicted Juno’s crippling pain at the death of her son with subtlety and emotion, but her obsequiousness towards the pompous lawyer Bentham (George Heynes), even when he was supposedly engaged to her daughter Mary (Flora Garner), lent a sense of artificiality that didn’t come through in my reading of the text. Unfortunately Garner’s Mary came across as fairly vapid – in addition to her uninspiring accent, she didn’t fully bring out the conflict of the “opposing forces” in her character, that is, the idea that her circumstances are the only thing hindering the improvement of her intellect. Jerry Devine’s proclamation of love was equally lacklustre, perhaps because there was no apparent reason for her to deserve his affection.

The Loft is an intimate space, perfect for the staging of such a domestic play, and Richard Moore’s set design did not disappoint. Although the action takes place in one room, it achieved a sense of multidimensionality through the windows at the back and the staircase and bedroom offstage. The smooth transition from rickety furniture to opulent upholstery, and finally to a room stripped totally bare, mirrored the emotional trajectory of the Boyle family. Additionally, the spotlight on the final drunken tableau of Boyle and Joxer worked as a bleak yet absurdly comical conclusion.

The consequences of financial ruin and slavish reliance on money really make this play as relevant now as it was nearly a century ago.

Juno and the Paycock’s continued appeal comes from the “innate humanity” of the characters’ situation and their “indomitable Irish wit”, but for me it’s the elucidation of the consequences of financial ruin and slavish reliance on money which really make this play as relevant now as it was nearly a century ago. The exhausted mothers implore some divine power to “take away our hearts o’stone and give us hearts o’flesh” – with such conflicts as exist in our ‘modern’ world, is it any wonder that people still ask this today?