Review: The Aftermath Of The Politics Of Prejudice Plays Out In The Shocking CYPRUS AVENUE

Wednesday 22 May 2019, 7:30pm

David Ireland's CYPRUS AVENUE presents a position where the politics of promoting division and hate has resulted in unfathomable horror. In a world where leaders seek to pit groups of society against each other, this work which is centered on an old hatred holds a chilling foreboding.

Director Anna Houston brings David Ireland's multi award winning play to the Old Fitz stage for it's Australian Premiere. Potentially drawing on his own experience growing up in Northern Ireland, CYPRUS AVENUE considers a situation where a staunchly Protestant Unionist Eric Miller (Roy Barker) still harbors a hatred towards the Fenian Irish Catholic Republicans. Eric, his wife (Jude Gibson), daughter (Amanda McGregor) and granddaughter live in the more desirable area of Belfast, the Cyprus Avenue which has also been immortalized in Van Morrison's music. Despite his seemingly well-off position, Eric proves that money can't overcome the brainwashing of prejudice instilled over the years as he becomes fixated on the belief that his grandchild somehow Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams. Eric is a vile reprehensible father who has no regard for other people's feelings even though he oscillates between venom and moments of seeming compassion and humanity as he hurls insults at his wife, daughter and therapist but it is his justification of violence that remains the most shocking.

The darkness of the story, which initially has a comedy element, albeit very dark, is contrasted by Ester Karuso-Thurn's sterile white setting which also gives the story a surreal element. The clinical corporate feel of Bridget's (Branden Christine) psychologist's rooms form the basis of the other scenes pulled from Eric's memory. More a text driven work, props are used with economy to simply shift the story to different places.

Whilst Barker did stumble over lines a number of times on the night reviewed, he still conveyed Eric's messed up mind that was potentially irreparably damaged by hate that had been ingrained for years. He makes it clear that in Eric's mind, his actions and vitriol is justified, just as vile behavior is often justified in the mind of the perpetrator, particularly those fueled by ideological beliefs. As his wife, daughter and granddaughter are formed from his memories, Gibson and McGregor has shallower characters to work with as Eric doesn't attribute a depth of character to his memory of them. The renegade unionist, Slim (Lloyd Allison-Young) that Eric encounters has a greater complexity than Eric's own family, but this is due to the connection of the character to Eric's memory, which may or may not be real.

There are times when this work is roaringly funny but when the magnitude of Eric's hate becomes evident the laughter dies to horror. Ireland's work has a tendency towards violence, and this is no different. Houston does not shy away from it either to the point that it could be questioned if the degree to which it is taken is really necessary and if audience discomfort could have been achieved with other choices.

As world leaders from all over the globe are frequently promoting division and protection of self, CYPRUS AVENUE, which draws on tensions in Ireland, serves as a warning against allowing the type of hate and separation to affect another generation.

https://www.redlineproductions.com.au/cyprus-avenue