{"id":146981,"date":"2023-06-18T08:51:07","date_gmt":"2023-06-17T22:51:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/?p=146981"},"modified":"2023-06-18T23:59:20","modified_gmt":"2023-06-18T13:59:20","slug":"exiles-fortyfivedownstairs-theatre-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/exiles-fortyfivedownstairs-theatre-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Exiles (fortyfivedownstairs) – theatre review"},"content":{"rendered":"

Set in Dubin in 1912, Richard Rowan (Doug Lyons) is a highly intelligent writer plagued by self-doubt.\u00a0Richard married the woman he desired, Bertha (Lucy Payne), but nine years on their light appears to have dimmed.\u00a0When the couple moved to Rome, he exchanged long letters and chapters of his book with another woman from his past, Beatrice Justice (Mary Agnes-O\u2019Loughlin).<\/p>\n

Clearly, Richard \u2013 who has returned to Ireland with Bertha \u2013 is \u201cinto\u201d Beatrice, who tutors the couple\u2019s son, Archie (Caithlin O\u2019Loghlen).\u00a0Meanwhile, Bertha is being pursued by Beatrice\u2019s cousin, Richard\u2019s childhood friend Robert Hand (Soren Jensen).\u00a0At one time in the dark, distant past Beatrice and Robert were secretly engaged, but now \u201cB\u201d gives him short shrift.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Photos by Jody Jane Stitt<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While clandestine relationships by their very nature are best kept that way, not so in Exiles.\u00a0Richard doesn\u2019t believe in secrecy. He, himself, has strayed in the past and immediately revealed all to Bertha.\u00a0He gives her free rein to do what she wants, with whom she wants to do it.\u00a0Nor does he seem to be fighting for Bertha, while for her part all Bertha desires is to see fight in her man.<\/p>\n

She even shares with Richard, step-by-step, the nature of Robert\u2019s advances and a rendezvous with her that the latter has planned.\u00a0Interestingly, rather than expressing anger at what is going down, Richard feels for Robert and Bertha pities her pursuer. How will all this play out? Is Richard and Bertha\u2019s marriage truly doomed? Will Richard get together with Beatrice? Will Robert, who has carried a torch for Bertha since he and Richard first met her, finally win her over?<\/p>\n

I am afraid you will simply have to buy a ticket to see the Victorian premiere of James Joyce\u2019s only play, Exiles, to find out.\u00a0Put simply, this is accessible Joyce involving an open marriage.\u00a0The revered Irishman has woven an intricate web of intrigue, which defies traditional convention and, as such, was far ahead of its time when published in 1918.\u00a0Given today\u2019s more open conversations about sexual diversity, it feels totally at home in the here and now.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

I greatly appreciated the jousting word pictures the literary giant painted. They are psychologically thrilling.\u00a0Events unfold in three acts \u2013 at the Rowans\u2019 home, at Robert\u2019s place and back at the Rowans\u2019 residence.\u00a0The first act, which precedes interval, sets up the moral dilemma at the heart of the story, while the rest of the piece takes truth telling to another level.<\/p>\n

I liked Doug Lyons\u2019 standoffish and dignified portrayal of Richard, while Lucy Payne is highly polished as his frustrated and flirtatious wife.\u00a0Soren Jensen has a larger-than-life presence as the decidedly forward Robert, but his \u201cbooming\u201d voice \u2013 out of sync with the other actors \u2013 needs to be pared back.<\/p>\n

Mary Agnes-O\u2019Loughlin does a fine job expressing Beatrice\u2019s confliction emotions.\u00a0I struggled with Caithlin O\u2019Loghlen\u2019s overexuberance as Archie.\u00a0In fact, regardless of the characterisation, I found Archie an all but redundant figure that could readily have been done away with.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The sixth persona in the piece is Richard and Bertha\u2019s all-seeing maid, Brigid. With a glint in her eyes, Linda Cookson plays her for laughs \u2013 a knowing look here and a gentle smile there.\u00a0Bridie Turner impresses with her period set and costume design. The men look particularly dapper.<\/p>\n

I have but one other gripe. At one point in the first act, when Richard and Robert are speaking, Richard pulls out a cigarette and smokes it \u2013 all of it.\u00a0While I don\u2019t doubt that that was indicative of the period in which the production is set, it is now 2023 and this is theatre.\u00a0Even though the ciggy is herbal, I seriously question whether a lit fag is absolutely necessary.\u00a0More so, because with the audience so close in the intimate space where the play is staged it really stinks up the place and is most unpleasant to have to bear.<\/p>\n

Notwithstanding that, Exiles\u2019 director Carl Whiteside has breathed life into Joyce\u2019s carefully crafted words, ensuring they have emotional resonance.\u00a0I couldn\u2019t help reflecting on the musings of 18th<\/sup> century Scottish writer, historian and politician Sir Walter Scott.\u00a0In a poem titled Marmion: A Tale of Flodden Field, he wrote: \u201cOh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Bloomsday\u2019s adaptation of Exiles makes for an engaging night of theatre and leaves me asking whether unflinching honesty is always the best policy. It is playing at fortyfivedownstairs until 25th June, 2023.<\/p>\n

Alex First<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Set in Dubin in 1912, Richard Rowan (Doug Lyons) is a highly intelligent writer plagued by self-doubt.\u00a0Richard married the woman he desired, Bertha (Lucy Payne), but nine years on their light appears to have dimmed.\u00a0When the couple moved to Rome, he exchanged long letters and chapters of his book with another woman from his past,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":146982,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[801],"tags":[8910,3,8908,412,8911,6385,8909],"class_list":["post-146981","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-theatre","tag-bloomsday","tag-drama","tag-exiles","tag-fortyfivedownstairs","tag-infidelity","tag-intrigue","tag-james-joyce"],"yoast_head":"\nExiles (fortyfivedownstairs) - 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In turn, they are excerpts from A Stretch of the Imagination by Jack Hibberd, Samuel Beckett\u2019s Eh Joe and On the Harmfulness of Tobacco by\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Theatre"","block_context":{"text":"Theatre","link":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/category\/theatre\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/rsz_1rsz_pnc5035-266-enhanced-nr-edit_hr-scaled-1.jpg?fit=800%2C534&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/rsz_1rsz_pnc5035-266-enhanced-nr-edit_hr-scaled-1.jpg?fit=800%2C534&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/rsz_1rsz_pnc5035-266-enhanced-nr-edit_hr-scaled-1.jpg?fit=800%2C534&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/rsz_1rsz_pnc5035-266-enhanced-nr-edit_hr-scaled-1.jpg?fit=800%2C534&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10120,"url":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/krapps-last-tape-fortyfivedownstairs-theatre-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":146981,"position":3},"title":"Krapp’s Last Tape (fortyfivedownstairs) – theatre review","author":"Alex First","date":"July 4, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Over the years, a number of well-known names - like John Hurt and Harold Pinter - have performed Samuel Beckett\u2019s one-person, one-act play, Krapp's Last Tape. Now the indefatigable Max Gillies joins them I'm a Gillies fan. He certainly doesn\u2019t let you down as he takes on the persona of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Theatre"","block_context":{"text":"Theatre","link":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/category\/theatre\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Krapps-Last-Tape-02.jpeg?fit=800%2C532&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Krapps-Last-Tape-02.jpeg?fit=800%2C532&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Krapps-Last-Tape-02.jpeg?fit=800%2C532&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Krapps-Last-Tape-02.jpeg?fit=800%2C532&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":164250,"url":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/potus-or-behind-every-great-dumbass-are-seven-women-trying-to-keep-him-alive-fortyfivedownstairs-theatre-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":146981,"position":4},"title":"POTUS or Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive (fortyfivedownstairs) – theatre review","author":"Alex First","date":"February 23, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"So much raucous fun, POTUS pushes all the right buttons when it comes to political incorrectness and scandal. In short, the President\u2019s nearest and dearest are barely hanging on by their fingertips, as it is mayhem in the White House. I speak of his Chief of Staff Harriet (Carolyn Bock),\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Theatre"","block_context":{"text":"Theatre","link":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/category\/theatre\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/rsz_dsc07147-enhanced-nr.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/rsz_dsc07147-enhanced-nr.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/rsz_dsc07147-enhanced-nr.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/rsz_dsc07147-enhanced-nr.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5972,"url":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/coral-browne-fortyfivedownstairs-theatre-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":146981,"position":5},"title":"Coral Browne (fortyfivedownstairs) – theatre review","author":"David Edwards","date":"July 13, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Sparkling wit, energy and enthusiasm characterise Coral Browne: This F***ing Lady!. Maureen Sherlock's smart script showcases the colourful life of a girl raised in Melbourne\u2019s West who went on to conquer the West End. Now all but forgotten, BAFTA winner\u00a0 Coral Browne wasn't one to pull her punches. After Melbourne\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Theatre"","block_context":{"text":"Theatre","link":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/category\/theatre\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Coral-Browne-02.jpg?fit=1024%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Coral-Browne-02.jpg?fit=1024%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Coral-Browne-02.jpg?fit=1024%2C600&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Coral-Browne-02.jpg?fit=1024%2C600&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/146981","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=146981"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/146981\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/146982"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=146981"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=146981"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=146981"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}