JOHN Webster's The Duchess of Malfi is not an easy option for any theatre group. Not too long ago, a leading British company brought it to the Gaiety, and was forced to endure the constant interruption of feet marching out of the theatre. It is a tribute to the style and talents of the Loose Canon company that nothing of the sort will happen to their current production in the tiny Crypt.
The story is one of greed, murder, betrayal and revenge on the grand scale. A newly-widowed Duchess is forbidden by her corrupt brothers, a Duke and a Cardinal, to remarry; they want her estate to stay in the family. But she does, and to a commoner, and their fury knows no limits. First they exile her, then kill her, and they are themselves drowned in the torrent of blood they have released.
There is great clarity in Jason Byrne's direction of his committed actors. Their characters are sharply etched, their dialogue is delivered with precision and their interactions are measured and effective. They keep the pot boiling right up to the final corpse-strewn scene and even survive its undeniable excess to leave the sense of tragedy intact.
The acting emphasis is on the ensemble, but there are impressive individual performances. Niall Shanahan's Antonio, Stephen Nealon's Duke, Alex Johnston's Cardinal and Liz Kuti's Duchess are all excellent in the leads, while Paschal Friel, Susannah de Wrixon, Leslie Conroy, Karl Shiels, Sean Whelan and Jonathan Byrne support them well.
At the heart of the play is the complex character of Bosola, a mercenary in the service of those inferior to him in all but wealth and rank. Robert Price plays him with power and conviction, a key element in a fine production.
