16 February 2012 (Theatre Review)

Star Rating: 3.5/5

Title: Bookworms
Venue: The Abbey
Dates: Until the 17th March at 7.30pm
Price: €13 - €40
Writer: Bernard Farrell
Director: Jim Culleton
Cast: Marion O'Dwyer, Phelim Drew, Liz Fitzgibbon, Deirdre Donnelly, Louis Lovett, Donna Dent, Michael Glenn Murphy.

Review by: Lauren O'Toole

When a show is staged two years after its original incarnation there is an inherent concern that any social commentary intrinsic in the script may lose its relevancy. However with Bernard Farrell's Bookworms it is more disturbing just how relevant the recession jokes still are, if not a little tired. From the gilded Celtic Tiger opulence of their home, Ann and Larry await their bookclub members. With Larry's business feeling the pinch of the recession and their daughter Aisling away in Australia, the couple cut a very familiar dash.

Tension is in the air from the off as Ann, played by Marion O'Dwyer, fluffs cushions, lays out the predictable cheese and crackers and has a nervous breakdown of sorts in anticipation of her husband's inability to keep up with her highly pretentious guests' analysis of the book in question. With Deirdre Donnelly's slightly eccentric but incredibly endearing Dorothy and the highly volatile couple Jennifer and Robert in attendance, it seems Ann's anxiety is warranted. It's not long before the wine has loosened tongues and the books are in threat of being used as missiles rather than for reference.

Amidst the intellectual snobbery that is flung about at will and the somewhat repetitive recession commentary, is the shadowy figure of Larry's brother Vincent. There are little more than whispers about a psychotic run in with a budgie and a past in the priesthood but just enough of a build-up of tension that the character takes on an enigmatic presence offstage. When he finally does make an appearance, Michael Glenn Murphy plays the part of the outcast with a little more pent up energy then necessary, but then for much of the cast of Bookworms high drama seems to be the order of the day. Although the play verges on farce, at times the exaggerated style can be trying and is better executed by some than others. While Louis Lovett is hilarious as the obnoxious Robert, and Phelim Drew charming as the downtrodden Larry, both Donna Dent and Marion O'Dwyer have a tendency to overplay their roles as the hysterical bookclub wives.

Unlike the weighty To the Lighthouse, the subject of the tempestuous bookclub, Bookworms is easy on the intellect. This is a light-hearted comedy with characters that are highly identifiable despite being largely embellished and, while not exactly a page turner, has enough humour to keep you compelled to the end.

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