Director and actor Donal O’Kelly returns to the Edinburgh Fringe with the UK premier of Skeffy. He gives us an animated spin on history, telling the story of the 1916 Easter Rising - a monumental event in Ireland, when nationalists rebelled to win their independence from the British.
You walk into the theatre space to find O’Kelly lying on a table, wearing a tracksuit and what can only be described as a tea cosy on his head. He is mumble-humming Ireland’s national anthem, Amhrán na bhFiann, from the side of his mouth and holds a battered paper cup. Before he even speaks you immediately know you are going to be entertained. The set is simple, making room for his fierce and captivating energy.
O’Kelly takes us on a hysterical, moving, and satirical journey imparted with enthusiasm and passion. We start in the present day, on shabby streets of Rathmines where ‘bluebottles’ have nothing better to do than to stop down-and-outs from begging by ATMs. From there we are transported to what is described as ‘the nightmare James Joyce tries to awaken from’: Dublin during the Rising itself. Amidst the comic elements of the show, the disjunction of time functions to highlight these bleak moments in Irish history, provoking a good mix of emotion.
This may be a one man show, but we certainly get our fill of characters. O’Kelly gives us a taste of his expansive repertoire. First and foremost, he is the voice of Frank-Sheehy-Skeffington, the Irish writer and pacifist. He also makes room for some comical impersonations of perhaps more recognised figures, namely James Joyce (or Hairy Jaysus), Michael Collins, and Hana Sheehy. By amalgamating these characters, O’Kelly manages to be the composite voice of Ireland’s history. At times this mix becomes a bit disorientating, although as this show was still in preview mode, we may be able to excuse him.
If you are not familiar with Irish politics or the Irish brogue, this show might be a bit of a whirlwind of names and places. However, since O’Kelly is a wizard with words, uttering pithy poetic sentences one after the other, delivery means this problem may sometimes be overlooked. If you are open to something quirky and expressive, give it a go. If he leaves you screaming for more, then check out the other half of O’Kelly’s brace of new plays: Finonnuala.
