LOUGHLIN DEEGAN'S play, produced by Red Kettle at Waterford's Garter Lane, is something of a throw-back to a familiar theme: the group of lads out for a riotous weekend and soul-baring revelations fuelled by drink. What gives The Stomping Ground some originality is the modernity of its characters and dialogue, hot off the topical griddle of today's young manhood.
Tosser's granny is in hospital, so he brings four pals from Limerick to her house in Ennistymon for a repeat of a previous bout of macho exhibitionism a year ago. There was another one then, Kev, who has been invited, but may not show up; nobody seems too sure why. But he does appear, in spirit, and stays as a commentator and narrator, prompting his ex-mates to reminiscences until all has been explained.
Martin is a toughie, committed to the booze and set on a local girl, Kathy. Kieran is a seasoned campaigner and the procurer of an essential quantity of hash. Spud is appetite incarnate, a gross amalgam of bodily functions. Des is the sensitive one who knows more about last year with Kev, who was mysteriously beaten up by locals, than he wishes to acknowledge. And Tosser is a subservient weakling, content to be drawn along in the wake of the lads.
As Kev makes clear, he is gay, and something happened last year to prove it. What that was, and how it involved Des and the others, provides the element of suspense that keeps the limited plot moving. The climax, when it comes, is excessively dramatic and not entirely persuasive, and leads on to something of an anti-climax.
Where the author scores is in the creation of credible characters and expletive-peppered dialogue that falls realistically on the ear. Brian Doherty's Kieran, Alan Smyth's Tosser and Alan King's earthy Spud have a particular ring of truth, but the others - Paul Roe, Charlie Bonner, Eddie Tighe, Natalie Stringer and Janet Moran - are all excellent. Bairbre Ni Chaoimh's direction fine-tunes the performances and action in Ben Hennessey's realistic setting.
Loughlin Deegan has certainly made an interesting debut and his first work has been given an excellent staging. If he can find a more original theme and a creative approach to it, his next play could be a real leap forward.
