On McQuillan's Hill, Finborough Theatre - ★★★★★ - Until February 29, 2020


Lies, abuse and betrayal. How do you rebuild a family or a society out of such a past. Joseph Crilly's On McQuillan's Hill is a metaphor for the complicated and tortured history of Northern Ireland whilst recounting a family narrative that is always engaging and charged with dark humour. It is a wonderfully engaging story and this is a first-rate production. Helena Bereen as Mrs. Tymelly gives a master class in acting with her beautifully understated performance that bespeaks an older generation's approach to the betrayals which befell them. The representatives of the generation of The Troubles are also quite unforgettably captured. Declan Rodgers as Ray McCullion gets it just right as the manipulative and cynical IRA member and Johnny Vivash is excellent as his dupe who has sacrificed his personal truth to be a pawn in a game he doesn't understand. Gina Costigan as Loretta Maline and Kevin Murphy as Dessie Rigg are both touching and totally credible as those who have made cruel compromises to survive in the circumstances they have been born into. Julie Maguire as Theresa Maline, the next generation which is unsure of its origins and its future, seemed to grow into her role as her character discovered her place in this tangled world. Jonathan Harden's direction gets the pacing just right and manages to unfold this complex and twisting story in a way that makes it both comprehensible and completely gripping. Be sure to see On McQuillan's Hill!

 Reviewed by J.C.

  Our Score:  ☆☆☆☆☆ 

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 WHEN, WHERE, GETTING THERE:
Until February 29, 2020
Tue - Sat: 7:30 pm, Sat & Sun: 3 pm
Finborough Theatre
Nearest tube: Earl's Court
https://finboroughtheatre.co.uk/production/on-mcquillans-hill/
Map & Location: 118 Finborough Rd, Kensington, London SW10 9ED, UK

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