This winter Torquay Theatre Troupe (TTT) will bring to life The Lonesome West, a dark Irish comedy from Academy Award and BAFTA winner Martin McDonagh.
The Lonesome West, like many of McDonagh’s works, is set in County Galway in Ireland’s west and explores the relationship of two brothers, Valene and Coleman, who have recently lost their father.
Stuck in the same cottage and squabbling over their inheritance and a multitude of past grievances, the brothers’ quarrels draw in the local parish priest and a young girl from the community.
Director Glen Barton, well-known for his work as actor, director and musician around the Geelong and Surf Coast region, said he was “thrilled to be back” working with TTT to present The Lonesome West.
“I’ve loved McDonagh’s work for so long, his movies as well,” Barton said.
“I think there’s an incredible heart underneath the bleakness; it’s really dark, quite bleak, but the themes around the need for human connection are really touching.
“But this work is also exceedingly funny, the characters throw around some choice insults at each other. When they have a go at each other they have razor-sharp wit, and the back-and-forth is like a boxing match with words, really.”
Barton said a key intention as director was to present the play with the authenticity it demanded, but which was often missing from non-Irish presentations of Irish works.
“There can be at times a tendency to caricature, that sort of leprechaun character nonsense,” he said.
“What’s really important for me is to present these as really genuine human beings with genuine stories and genuine emotional responses to their situation.
“Also, it’s really important to be sensitive to the situation in small towns, where there is a lot of poverty and violence, trauma and mental health issues and treat that with the respect that it deserves.
“And particularly presenting Irish stories, having that underlying awareness of the impact of generational trauma, colonisation and oppression of the Irish for the last 800, 900 years.”
Barton expressed how fortunate he was to work with TTT, praising both the actors and the supporting members.
“It’s a company that is really passionate about good quality theatre and about this community,” he said.
“Jules (Hart), Lachie (Errey), Matthew (Bradford) and Tess (Parker)… are bringing absolute heart to their roles, they’re all incredibly skilful. It makes directing really easy if you’re able to really rely on the skill of the actors.”
The Lonesome West premieres at the Shoestring Playhouse, Torquay on June 8 and runs till June 17.
