"Over the Bridge" through a small blue window
I saw the first 7 minutes of the new Martin Lynch adaptation of Sam Thompson's "Over the Bridge" through a small blue tinted glass window last night. It was my own fault. I was late for the opening night. And so I stood outside the door of the auditorium with two ushers waiting for the first scene change. It could have been worse. A lot of venues won't let you in until at least the interval. And with quite a few plays these days being written with no interval being late isn't an option. I saw a couple at "The Sign of the Whale" last week who had to watch the first half through the gauze curtain dividing the audience from the theatre space. So my small blue window was bearable knowing I was going to get in.Ìý
It was great to see the play. I've only ever read it. And was looking forward to seeing what Martin Lynch had done with it. Rachel O'Riordan the director placed all the action in the round, which looked stunning, but wasn't great when I tiptoed in late, with half the audience facing me and seeing my shame!Ìý
The acting was stunning, even if the acoustic sometimes meant where I was sitting I had to strain to hear. The scene between Peter O'Boyle, the catholic shipworker, and the leader of the mob Ìýwas one of the most powerful pieces of theatre I've ever seen.
The mob off stage, the sound of drums steadily beating while the men sang "We are the Billy Boys", rising from a barely audible whisper to a wild and violent end will haunt me.Ìý
When the play ended Martin Lynch bounded on stage. He hadn't been too far from the action for the entire play. I had seen his distinctive silhouette in the wings during the play.Ìý
He wanted to thank everyone and in particular invite Jimmy Ellis on stage. With the cast still there, in costume, the mob leader standing next to the catholic shipworker, the bereaved daughter next to her father, I felt, at first, that it was going to be a communal back slapping. And a definite killing of the illusion created over the past 2 hours.Ìý
But when Jimmy got up, grasped the hands of the cast members standing closest to him, just able to say he was "choked" by what he had just seen, I was on my feet. To celebrate him, Sam Thompson and the people who fifty years ago fought to have this play seen.Ìý
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