Excellent production let down by a weak script

REVIEW BY JUDY MURPHY:

THE CAVALCADERS BY BILLY ROCHE DRUID THEATRE

Aaron Monahan has proven his mettle as an actor in many Druid productions through the years. Now, he’s on his debut outing as a director with the company and he’s no slouch in this regard either.

He’s already directed several successful shows for Cavan company, Livin’ Dread, and brings those skills to Druid’s latest production, Billy Roche’s The Cavalcaders.  There’s an impressive cast too, showcasing singing and dancing skills as well as acting ability.

Which makes it a pity that Druid didn’t pick a better vehicle for all this talent.

The Cavalcaders, which premiered on the Peacock stage of the Abbey Theatre in 1993, is set in a shoemaker’s shop in a provincial town and its central character Terry (Garret Lombard) is going through what seems to be a midlife crisis, looking back on the errors of his younger years.

He owns the shop and has just sold it to Rory (Naoise Dunbar), an effervescent, enthusiastic young employee who is planning big changes.

And so, we begin a journey back in time to explore Terry’s youth and the events that shaped him and led to his many regrets. It’s a trip that’s enlivened by great singing, as Terry, Rory and their fellow workers Josie (Sean Kearns) and Ted (Tiernan Messit-Greene) perform in a barber-shop group called The Cavalcaders.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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