'Cripil Inis Meáin' enjoys the setting sun

SMALL AND big worlds collide in Martin McDonagh's Cripil Inis Meáin, and no more so than in the Irish language translation of the play, performed during the Galway Arts Festival's first week by An Taibhdhearc.

The venue was Amharclann Chois Fharraige in Seanscoil Sailearna, Indreabhán, within clear view of the Aran Islands framed by a setting sun.

The national Irish language theatre has been borrowing locations since a fire at its premises in November, 2007, and set designer Dara McGee made the most of the Sailearna school stage where a week of performances were sold out every night. Translator Micheál Ó Conghaíle recalls, in his programme notes, how he once worked in a shop similar to that run in the play by the Osbourne sisters (Bridie Ní Churraoin and Bríd Ní Neachtain) selling plugs of tobacco, bags of tea and eggs, and collecting story after story from customers in return.

McGee's shop with its ham and candles, endless rows of "canna píseanna", eggs collected, and thrown, by Helen (Brídín Nic Dhonncha) and jars of sweets raided by Beairtlín (Mícheál Seoighe) runs seamlessly out onto the shore where Bobby Bhobby (Seán O Flatharta) maintains his currach. Such is the close connection between landscape and language that the savagery and humour of McDonagh's original script travels well in Connemara Irish. Ó Conghaíle also recognises that some words are also best left alone – such as Johnny Pheaitín Mhaidhc's (Mícheál Ó Dubhghaill) whining "news". Darach Ó Dubháin can well match Druid's Aaron Monaghan as Cripil Billí Claven, as he hauls himself across a stage – and, ultimately, the Atlantic, having been lured to Hollywood by Man of Aranfilm director Robert Flaherty.

Beartla Ó Flatharta’s tight direction ensured an engrossing performance for an audience that spanned generations and two continents last Friday night, and the screening of Flaherty’s epic basking shark hunt scene as the islanders turned their backs to argue added resonance in such an intimate setting.

And added irony – for, as author Tim Robinson has noted, the hunt was concocted by Flaherty, having been abandoned by a previous island generation.