John B. Keane’s The Matchmaker

Twenty-five years later, The Matchmaker still fails to dissapoint as Genevieve Conti reports.

John B. Keane’s The Matchmaker, directed by Michael Scott and starring Mick Lally and Mary McEvoy (of Glenroe fame) is a show you won’t want to miss. Set in 1950s rural western Ireland, the play follows the endeavours of Dicky (Lally), a local matchmaker who corresponds with various lonely men and women in want of a mate.

The play was originally shown around 25 years ago and its comic brilliance is not lost today. The only real difference is that back then the content of the play would have been a taboo subject. Nowadays the idea of slipping poitín into a spouse’s drink to arouse her may not be such a shock to the system.

The two-person cast is hardly noticeable as both Lally and McEvoy effortlessly switch from character to character.  Their acting is practically flawless and the script seduces the audience to laugh throughout