Jack's too Open

Third and last in the Focus's season of lunchtime plays is the oddly-named Jack's too Open, by Paula Clamp

Third and last in the Focus's season of lunchtime plays is the oddly-named Jack's too Open, by Paula Clamp. A family sit and play cards in a Derry garden on a hot summer day. There are the mother, a married daughter and her husband, the youngest son and his English girlfriend. They play cards, drink gin and talk.

The talk is essentially about marriage, the not-so-tender trap. Has mother any regrets? Is the daughter's marriage as stable as it seems? Should the young couple chance it? A certain amount of trauma surfaces and simmers, and there is some degree of resolution.

Bredha Sexton, Ann Russell Weakly, Michael McCabe, Les Martin and Anne Lillis turn in convincing, naturalistic performances, making the hour or so pass easily. Paul Keeley directs this slight but entertaining piece with a good feel for his characters.