Graveyard humour abounds in Decadent’s black comedy

Martin McDonagh’s play, A Skull in Connemara, directed by Andrew Flynn for Decadent Theatre company, will return to the Town Hall Theatre from March 20-22 as part of a national tour.

A Skull in Connemara, the central play in McDonagh’s Leenane trilogy was first staged by Decadent last year and has been revived for this tour with the support of an Arts Council grant.

Its central character is Mick Dowd, who is hired for one week every autumn to disinter human bones from a selection of the graves in the local cemetery in order to make room for new arrivals.

The play opens on the days leading up to yet another removal. However this year Mick has the task of digging up his late wife, Oona.

Rumours are already abounding locally about what exactly he does with the remains that he digs up and this event sparks further controversy given the fact that Oona Dowd died in very suspicious circumstances. Nosy neighbours, troublesome teenagers and an ambitious Guard all feature large in McDonagh’s black comedy.

The cast for this touring production includes Garrett Keogh, Maria McDermottroe, Patrick Ryan and Jarlath Tivnan.

Owen MacCarthaigh, who is responsible for the set, was nominated for Best Set award in the 2013 Irish Times Theatre Awards for last year’s production of this play, while Decadent Theatre Company was nominated for the Judges’ Special Award at the same event.

In fact, the production was described by The Irish Times as ‘a deliciously grim fantasy in a staging as earthy and as ethereal as a Tim Burton movie’.

It’s on at 8pm nightly from Thursday, March 20 to Saturday, March 22 and tickets are €18 /16 online at tht.ie, by phone on 091-569777 and at the Town Hall Box office.