How Many Miles to Babylon? at the Lyric Theatre: REVIEW

*Being married to a technician may have affected my opinion when writing this review.

When the Director Philip Wilson came out on stage before the show to say that the mechanics were playing up, my heart sank.  Pointing out possible issues and highlighting the technical hitches unfairly distracts the audience away from the story.  From the onset all I could concentrate on was watching the Revolve, counting the number of times the Stage Manager had to push it manually, and feel sorry for the actors.  At times they were out of the light, distracted by the set and having to insert pauses while waiting for the Revolve to put them in the correct place.

While technical problems happen, and reliance on equipment is certainly a difficulty in theatre production, I felt that it was all a little selfish on the part of the Creative Team. The Revolve of the stage, even if it had worked seamlessly, added nothing to the overall atmosphere of the production and seemed to me to be an unfair burden to have placed on both the actors and crew.

Despite being distracted however, How Many Miles to Babylon? is a wise tale, one of friendship, bravery and strength of character.  Alec Moore (Anthony Delaney), a boy of the Big House in Wicklow is brought up by parents who have lots of money and not much love.  The first half of the play concentrates on the home life of Alec, his overbearing mother played by a convincing Catherine Cusack and indifferent father (Michael James Ford).  The lighting is cold and ghostly, accenting the formality of Alec's life in the Big House.

His illicit forays out to meet his only friend, the village boy Jerry Crowe, played by the ever watchable Ryan McParland, are filled with simplicity and laughter. They have in common their love of horses and the swans of the Big House. Their differences are noted; Jerry does not ride like a gentleman, he hasn't read the classics, he has difficulty with his homework. But none of these matter. Jerry is warm and funny, and despite not knowing the 'proper' way to do things, he is surrounded by a loving family and friends, and a knowledge of politics and current affairs.

Alec is pushed to enlist by his mother because it is his duty. When he says he doesn't want to and doesn't understand what the war is about she calls him a coward.  Jerry enlists in order to get some cash, another pay-check will make his family life much easier. It is when the boys decide to enlist that their differences are acknowledged. Jerry knows that Alec will become an Officer and will be expected to lead men like Jerry.

The second half of the play takes place in the trenches.  While the use of the Revolve makes more sense in this half, it still does not add enough to the play to merit reliance on it.  I was disappointed by the set which looked cheap and thought that smoke and lighting could have been used to much better effect. The fact that the boys were at the Front, while obvious in the script, was not mirrored by the atmosphere created.

We see Alec struggle with his Officer rank and with his inability to publicly continue his friendship with Jerry. Whether talking to Major Glendinning or fellow Officer Bennett, Jerry is always at the forefront of his mind. Their meetings are punctuated with laughter and whiskey, horse riding and genuine affection for each other.

The differences in their upbringing are clear from the letters each of them receive from home and their reactions to them. While Jerry sets off on a labour of love for his mother, Alec sets off on a labour of love for Jerry and as the story plays out, we are reminded that this is not a complex story of war, but a simple one of courage and friendship.

How Many Miles to Babylon? at the Lyric Theatre, Belfast runs until 24 May.  For more information and tickets click here

Image credits: Steffan Hill

 

Coming Up: How Many Miles to Babylon? at the Lyric Belfast

The First World War Centenary is commemorated in dramatic fashion at the Lyric Theatre with a stirring adaptation of Jennifer Johnston’s novel How Many Miles to Babylon? this Spring.

Rehearsals are well underway with an impressive line-up of Irish and English actors bringing the Londonderry author’s “brilliant masterpiece” to the stage for the first time in Northern Ireland.

Anthony Delaney (Alec) and Ryan McParland (Jerry) in rehearsals

How Many Miles to Babylon? tells the heart-rending story of two young Irish boys from very different backgrounds who end up fighting in Flanders. Alec and Jerry are divided by class but united in friendship. One is the only child of Anglo-Irish landowners; the other is from a large family of Irish workers. Brought together by a shared love of horses, the pair enjoy an idyllic childhood on the same estate in County Wicklow.

As war breaks out at the end of 1914, both enlist in the army - and find themselves standing together, yet divided once more by rank. In the fields of Flanders, they must not only endure the horrors of the battlefield, but also face an ordeal that will test their friendship and their loyalty to breaking point.  The dramatic tale has been adapted by Irish actor and current Artistic Director of the PICT theatre in Pittsburgh, Alan Stanford.

How Many Miles to  Babylon full cast

Philip Wilson directs an impressive cast with Good Vibrations star Ryan McParland taking on the role of the charismatic Jerry and Anthony Delaney (Liola, The Kingdom) as Alec. Lyric audiences may also remember Ryan from Tim Loane’s The Civilisation Game in 2012 as well as the BBC series, 6 Degrees set in Belfast.

Catherine Cusack, part of the Irish acting dynasty of Cusacks, plays the cold mother, Alicia Moore opposite Michael James Ford (Becoming Jane; Michael Collins) as her husband. The rest of the cast are Richard Teverson (Brideshead Revisited; Downton Abbey) as Major Glendinning, Jeremy Lloyd (The Iron Lady) as Bennett and Charlie De Bromhead (How to Lose Friends and Alienate People).

Director Philip Wilson

“I came across Jennifer Johnston’s novel some years back, when I was researching another First World War story, and her delicate yet heartbreaking account of how young Irish men faced the unimaginable in the trenches has stayed with me ever since,” said the director, Philip Wilson.

“So I leapt at the chance to stage Alan Stanford’s poignant and richly evocative adaptation of this classic novel. Alec and Jerry’s friendship – which transcends education, class and religion – is a wonderfully compelling one, and the journey they go on together is truly remarkable.”

How Many Miles to Babylon? runs on the Danske Bank Stage, Lyric Theatre from Wed 30 April to Sat 24 May (Previews Sun 27 April 2.30pm; Tues 29 April 1pm & 7.45pm)

For more information and booking, please click here.

Image credits: Brian Morrison