Conflict, drama and hope

Date Published: {J}

Tom Murphy has never been afraid of addressing the sacred cows of Irish society in his plays and The Sanctuary Lamp, which runs at the Town Hall Theatre from Tuesday next, May 4 to Friday, May 7, is no exception. This new production, which is directed by the writer, is presented by B*spoke Theatre Company and comes highly recommended from Dublin and London.

But the play wasn’t always so warmly received. When it premiered at the Abbey Theatre in 1975, The Sanctuary Lamp caused a furore for its anti-clerical stance, earning the Tuam-born playwright several attacks from the altar.

However, even in those days, when the Catholic Church dominated Irish society, there were people who saw the bigger picture. The then President of Ireland Cearbhaill Ó Dálaigh stated that The Sanctuary Lamp was one of the greatest achievements of the Abbey Theatre since The Playboy of the Western World and Juno and the Peacock, putting Tom Murphy in excellent company.

Murphy subsequently redrafted the play and this latest production, directed by the writer, which opened in Dublin in 2008 is now widely regarded as the definitive version of this work. The Sunday Independent described it as “a stunning revival”, while The Sunday Tribune called it “a shining piece of theatre”.

Following the hugely successful Dublin run, it was revived this year and transferred to London where it received more critical acclaim, with The Sunday Times praising the “excellent production” of this “fascinating but not easily fathomable play”.

In these changed times, Murphy’s play, which centres on three lost souls and their quest for spiritual fulfilment, is now regarded as anti-clerical rather than anti-religious.

Harry is an ex-circus strongman who finds himself in a run-down Catholic Church, angry at what life has thrown him. The church’s bumbling monsignor sees this stranger hanging around and offers Harry the job of church clerk.

As clerk, one of his tasks is to tend to the candle in the sanctuary lamp in front of the altar. For Harry, the shining light of this lamp represents God. He prays to it, not just to seek a divine explanation for his weaknesses, but also looking for revenge on those who have harmed him. Fifteen-year-old Maudie, a runaway waif who is haunted by the death of her illegitimate child, is also hanging around this Gothic church. The two take up squatters’ rights, turning the confessional box on its side to make a pair of sleeping bunks, using the priests’ vestments as bed linen. When they are hungry, they enjoy a snack while sitting on the pews.

But the arrival of Harry’s one-time circus colleague, the sinister Francisco brings the affairs of the past into sharp focus. Francisco’s vehement stance against priests contrasts with Harry’s religious longings. Francisco’s anger against the Jesuits, who destroyed his younger days, is fuelled by altar wine which he robs from the church.

These are “three precarious survivors in a world where institutionalised religion has failed,” according to The Guardian’s critic Michael Billington in his recent review of the work. “But,” he adds, “the tone is affirmative, and the writing richly textured.”

Richly textured writing is a given from Murphy, whose monumental body of work includes A Whistle in the Dark, The Morning After Optimism, Bailegangaire and The Gigli Concert (which was last year revived in a major success by Druid Theatre)

The cast for this B*spoke production includes Kate Brennan, Declan Conlon, Bosco Hogan and Robert O’Mahoney. The set design is by Monica Frawley.

Booking is now open at the Town Hall Box Office, by phone at 091-569777 or on the web at www.tht.ie.