THE HANGOVER REPORT – Kevin Barry’s stylized psychological thriller AUTUMN ROYAL sputters at Irish Rep

John Keating and Maeve Higgins in Irish Repertory Theatre’s production of “Autumn Royal” by Kevin Barry (photo by Carol Rosegg).

Irish Repertory Theatre in Chelsea returns to in-person performances with Kevin Barry’s two-hander Autumn Royal, which I caught this past weekend. The 2017 play tells the story of two siblings – May and Timothy – who seem to be unable to move on with their respective lives, in large part because they are stuck at home attending to their ill, mentally-unstable father. When the kids send their father off to a home for the aged (the titular Autumn Royal), they think that things will finally start changing for them. But really do they?

Existing between a sort of Beckettian netherworld and the raw, stark reality of the plays of Martin McDonagh (particularly The Beauty Queen of Leenane, which shares similar themes with Mr. Barry’s play), Autumn Royal attempts to be a stylized and though provoking psychological thriller. And although Mr. Barry’s dark comedy possesses clear parallels to our collective experience of being “stuck” during the pandemic – literally and figuratively – it unfortunately fails to grab the imagination, sputtering in place over the course of 70 episodic minutes (which perhaps was the playwright’s intent). Had the writing’s imagery and poetry been more captivating and cohesive, I could have been onboard. As it stands, the play fails to create a distinct identity for itself and registers on a single note.

I can’t fault the production, however. Director Ciarán O’Reilly’s creepy and claustrophobic production is taut and heavy on atmosphere (kudos specifically to the inspired, polished work of projection designer Dan Scully and sound designer Hidenori Nakajo), a delicious nod to the current Halloween/autumn season. As May and Timothy, Irish Rep favorites Maeve Higgins and John Keating bring passion and intensity to their performances, ultimately, however, to limited effect. Indeed, despite their valiant efforts, they’re unable to sufficiently animate this muddled and tiresome work.

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AUTUMN ROYAL
Off-Broadway, Play
Irish Repertory Theatre
1 hour, 10 minutes (without an intermission)
Through November 21

Categories: Off-Broadway, Theater

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