Powerful Brian Friel drama at the Town Hall Theatre poses challenge for actors

Date Published: {J}

Privileged” is how Belfast based actor Lalor Roddyfeels about playing the of Frank Hardy in Brian Friel’s powerful drama, Faith Healer, which opens in the Town Hall Theatre on August 25 and runs until September 3 before embarking on a major tour of Ireland.

Faith Healer is the story of Frank Hardy, the faith healer of the title, who has roamed Scotland and Wales with his wife Grace and their manager Teddy, healing the sick before returning home to Ireland to try and restore his ailing powers.

“It is one of the most profound plays in Irish literature and Frank is one of the great parts, when you and you alone are in charge of what happens in the theatre and with the audience,” says Lalor.

That’s partly because the play is written as a series of monologues. The first and last are from Frank, the character he is playing.

Then it’s the turn of Grace, who left behind a comfortable life to join Frank on the road and stays with him despite his sometimes shabby treatment of her.

The third version of events is from their agent, Teddy, who has remains loyal to the pair through thick and thin, although even he doesn’t understand why.

The three characters are basically telling the same story, but the perspective and sometimes, even the facts are different in each version.

Faith Healer, which was first staged on Broadway in 1979, is regarded as a “written masterpiece”, says Lalor, but transferring it from page to stage hasn’t always been successful.

“You can look at the piece and get three entirely different stories about the same thing and that can be difficult both for actor and audience.

“Another challenge is that all of the characters are telling the truth in their own ways. We all think we own the truth. But what each person goes through is entirely different.”

The play is being presented by the Town Theatre and it is a major production. Grace is played by Ali White, a multiple Irish Times Theatre Awards nominee, while the part of Teddy is taken on by Galway based actor Rod Goodall, whose extensive CV includes working with Footsbarn and Macnas. The director is Andrew Flynn, who directed of the award winning ART/ Cork Opera House touring production of Juno and the Paycock and has just finished directing Dockers for the new Lyric Theatre in Belfast.

The three actors spent the first four days of rehearsals working out what they felt the play was about, explains Lalor. Since then they have rehearsed apart, but meet up every few days to keep the dynamic going.

Lalor describes the play as “one of the great challenges for an actor and an audience”.

“In a peculiar way, it’s a holy piece of writing. High theatre works best almost as a spiritual experience. It’s not about making people laugh or making them cry, it’s about sharing your soul and spirit with a community of people. And that’s true in abundance with Faith Healer – at least.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.