Theatre / If We Got Some More Cocaine I Could Show You How I Love You, written by John O’Donovan, directed by Joel Horwood. At ACT Hub Theatre, Kingston, until May 24. Reviewed by LEN POWER.
It’s Halloween and Mikey and Casey are stuck on a roof after robbing a petrol station in a small town in the west of Ireland.
Mikey is a tough young Irishman. Always ready for a fight, he’s also at war with himself.
He might be gay, but he’s not comfortable with other gay men of his age nor with the quietly homophobic society around him.
Casey is a younger gay Englishman living in Ireland. He is still closeted, but has strong feelings for Mikey. He’s gentler and more sensitive than Mikey but better able to express affection.
As they wait for the Guards to stop circling the house, they have the time to confront a few truths about themselves, each other and the society they are part of.
Robert Kjellgren, as Mikey, gives a strong, energetic performance, prowling the roof like a caged animal. As Casey, Joshua James brings an appealing warmth and sensitivity to the role. Both actors convincingly give their roles a sense that they probably don’t have much chance of happiness together or even much of a future.
Director Joel Horwood keeps the action moving well in the limited playing area of the roof and has drawn deeply observed characterisations from his cast.
Unfortunately, a lot of dialogue on opening night was not clear or audible enough. With accents to contend with and the rapidity of the dialogue, it was a strain at times to pick up what was being said.
These young men were interesting characters, and the play had a lot to say about a society that can change laws but not the minds of the people.
Maybe it was because of the difficulty in following the dialogue, but the ending of the play was not as moving as might have been expected.
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