Counter Culture

Déjà Vu:

The Shankill Players

Dorothy Evans, the Creative Director and Writer of Déjà Vu has created a real monster; a low-life alcoholic hate-the-world cynical bully called Charles (played with evil relish by Mark McClean). He delights in spreading misery wherever he goes, whether it’s to his longsuffering wife Gail (Nichola Price), his younger brother Winston (Adam Crooks) or his world-weary mum Etta (Lynda Hastings) a woman with a few secrets in her own past.

Artful lighting with two alternating sets side-by side on the same stage area allowed fast-paced scenes to hurtle along without any need for an interval break.

This fusion of personal tragedy, long-hidden family secrets and blackBelfastgallows humour really hit the spot with most members of the audience; who laughed out loud at some parts only to be stunned into shocked silence a few moments later as the plot developed.  It’s a pity that some half dozen members of the audience couldn’t manage to keep quiet and did their damndest to spoil it for others by gabbling away inanely during the action.

The Shankill Players are best known for lighter stuff than Déjà Vu; usually annual pantomimes, so it’s good to be reminded that they are capable of stretching themselves in order to stage more serious work.  This little company deserve a lot more recognition than they are currently getting. I don’t know if this is Dorothy Evans’ first script or not, but she is well on the way to knocking Martin Lynch off his perch, if she can keep up this kind of pace over the next few years.

***** Five Stars

This play is set to tour several venues in Northern Ireland