Beauty Queen of Leenane

Martin McDonagh’s dark and challenging plays set in Ireland provide a wonderful opportunity for amateur societies to show off their production and acting skills with their strong sense of location, distinctive accents and requiring careful management of the most unpleasant moments of drama. Shinfield players pulled off a remarkably fine production of the play on its opening night with some exceptional acting. It was very sad for all concerned to hear that they lost two subsequent performances due to illness and I hope the cast recovered and were able to perform it again to reap the rewards and applause for all their efforts.

The detailed set created the run-down old cottage in rural Leenane in Connemara in Eire with a good-looking sink and wood burning stove and well positioned furnishings that made a perfect setting for the action and were used very well. It successfully created a sense of isolation for the mother and daughter and their relationships were wonderfully acted by the cast. The directors did an excellent job with this fine cast using the space in the cottage room well with the position of the rocking chair, table and single armchair used to reinforce relationships and tensions. There was a good balance between the comedic elements and the most unpleasant behaviours, and the action was well paced throughout.

Despite the delays due to the pandemic and storm damage to the theatre roof trials that have dogged its journey to the Shinfield stage, the end result was well worth the time and effort and the cast and crew should be rightly proud of the production, although they may never want to eat Complan, porridge or Kimberleys again.

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