Last updated 19:00, Saturday, 14 June 2008

FATHER Ted meets Shameless in the latest studio production to be unveiled at Keswick's Theatre by the Lake.

The Lonesome West - pure genius

Having struggled with Bogus Woman, it was with some trepidation that I returned to the studio for a play with murder and suicide aplenty. But I'm so glad I did - this is pure genius.

Martin McDonagh's The Lonesome West focuses on the Irish village of Leenane - "the feckin murder capital of Europe" - and in particular two brothers who argue about everyting from the 3p change on a bag of crisps to why one of them murdered their father.

Watching in abject horror at the two unredeemable brothers - Coleman (Matthew Vaughan) and Valene (James Wooldridge) is Father Welsh (beautifully played by Anderw Pollard) who is uanble to cope when greeted with such menace head on. It should be dark and bleak - to an extent it is - but it's also one of the funniest plays I've seen in years. Perhaps it's because Vaughan and Woodridge pitch the characters of the two brothers just right: sickeningly evil - but in a loveable sort of way.

There wasn't a foot put wrong during the performance - and that includes the disturbingly realistic fight scenes directed by Kate Waters. This is fast and furious drama but one suspects that everyone involved in this production was enjoying it so much that they gave it their all. I doubt the audience wanted this to end and am sure many will return again to catch some of those devastating one-liners they might have missed the first-time round.

While there's plenty of humour it's woven into a fabric of people struggling to cope in a world they barely understand yet alone can control. Innocents such as Girleen (Amy Humphreys) seem to offer hope and salvation but even she cannot escape the darkness that is Leenane.

The set is the home of the brothers and becomes almost one of the characters. LIghting and sound is nicely done.

Director is Stefan Escreet who helps the characters to bring the best out of their roles and allow them to tell their stories. But at the end of it all perhaps the real star of the show is Leenane itself - a dark star whose absolute evil you just can't turn away from.

Alan Cleaver