A Review

Something Evil This Way Comes

By R. J. Donovan

Just as Dickens summoned up ghosts in "A Christmas Carol," Conor McPherson has called upon his own elements of darkness in "The Seafarer," now in its Boston premiere from SpeakEasy Stage Company. The Broadway production of "The Seafarer" was a nominated for a 2008 Tony Award as Best Play.

The setting is the dingy, hard-drinking home of Richard Harkin in a coastal settlement on the northside of Dublin. The time is Christmas Eve. Following an accident that’s rendered Richard blind (he fell into a dumpster), brother Sharky has returned home to care for his sibling. We slowly learn that Sharky has experienced his own share of bad luck, bad jobs and bad relationships.

Still, it's Christmas, and friends are bound to drop by. Or drop in. Or drop to the floor in a stupor -- because the drinking is constant. As is the stream of f-bombs.

To celebrate the holiday, the guys host a card game. But when an uninvited stranger is added to the mix, the interchange becomes a matter of unholy importance.

Without giving too much away, this is a good old fashioned ghost story with touches of great humor. Not unlike McPherson's "Shining City," the story and characters are incredibly real and detailed, which also means the minutia sometimes sets you wondering where it's all going. But also like "Shining City," if you sit back and take it all in, your patience will be rewarded with a twist of an ending that provides a few goose bumps.

As a side note, it's no secret that Irish culture is rich with countless traditions, with superstitions often playing a large role. That said, within some religious groups, a deck of cards was once considered to be The Devil's Bible or The Devil's Picture Book. Special evil significance was given to each face card, and from what I've been able to determine, a 10 was singled out for its particularly nefarious nature. This enters into the story, although I have no way of knowing if McPherson considered it when he created his plot.

Ultimately, McPherson has fashioned a tale of family and hope and redemption -- none of it gooey or maudlin. The dialogue is sharp, the mystery is intriguing and the whiskey is plentiful.

Director Carmel O'Reilly (of Sugan Theatre Company) and her creative team set the tone from the moment you enter the theater via muffled background sounds of conversation and singing, as if you’re walking into an Irish pub. Despite the dingy setting of the Harkin home (with three kinds of linoleum pieced together on the floor) and the constant grousing, you know you're among people you can count on.

O'Reilly has assembled a solid cast of players, led by Billy Meleady as Sharky (at right in the photo above) and Bob Colonna as Richard. Meleady, in particular, turns in a striking performance, bringing a volatile quality to a role that teams with inner conflict.

Larry Coen is their shlumpy browbeaten friend, Ivan, who can't find his glasses, rendering him almost as blind as Richard. Ciaran Crawford is Nicky, a rival who Shaky doesn't want in his home (despite Nicky's ignorance of that fact). And Derry Woodhouse (below) is the eerie outsider, Mr. Lockhart, who has it in his mind to make good on a long-overdue promise. Against the sometimes blustery tone of the other characters, Woodhouse's nattily dressed Lockhart is measured and firm -- like an authority figure who stares you down without blinking.

From Richard's no-nonsense visit to the bathroom to Sharky's coming undone over past slights, to the creepy scenes shared by Sharky and Lockhart, McPherson delivers on his mission to draw the audience in. The five-man card game of Act Two is particularly suspenseful as we're fully aware of what's up between Sharky and Lockhart -- something of which the other three characters are oblivious.

While proving there indeed can be a light in the darkness, "The Seafarer" is a satisfying journey that conjures up more than a small chill at its final blackout.

"The Seafarer," from SpeakEasy Stage, is at the Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center For The Arts, 527 Tremont Street, through December 13. For information, call 617-933-8600.

Production photos: Mike Lovett

-- OnStage Boston