Direct from a run in New York Enda Walsh's remarkable play The Walworth Farce is reviewed by Entry Pass critics...

Do not be fooled by the title of this play, although the play in humorous at times, it is a horrifyingly sinister tale of a father’s self-deceit.  In contrast to the main theme, the play includes many humorous moments, mainly produced by the characterisation of the characters.  Unfortunately, as the play is set in England in 1977, I felt that some humorous historical references passed me by, as a younger member of the audience, whilst other audience members were hooting with laughter.

 Through this play, the playwright chooses not to insult the intelligence of her audience; instead she challenges it.  The plot itself is not explained and difficult to understand until shortly before the interval.  Similarly, the characters’ roles in the play are not clear until the same point, as each character appears for a short time before the actor assumed the role of another character.  

However, it is easy to see why the play received the First Prize at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival as the characterisation of individual characters was outstanding; this was necessary in order to distinguish each character and make the play understandable.  The transition between characters was slick, with the actors never missing a cue to change their costume and their character.  The acting style was generally very Brechtian, with the actors emphasising certain characteristics to define each character.

In providing a thought-provoking and challenging night out, this play is successful but I felt that the humour is unfortunately aimed at a generation older than ours.