Less often produced than Eugene O'Neill's masterpiece, Long Day's Journey into Night, A Moon for the Misbegotten was written after that piece, although it was published and staged first. It also happens after the incidents of the former, although there is some overlap and inconsistency in the occurrence of events. In Long Day's Journey into Night, Jamie tells his father about the confrontation between Hogan and his rich neighbour over the pigs wallowing in the millionaire's ice pond, but this event only happens later in A Moon for the Misbegotten which happens chronologically afterwards. While O'Neill clearly did not intend for these plays to be considered strictly as sequels, they do deal with the same themes of existential angst, guilt and forgiveness, and the complex nature of lust and love. These are epic concerns, and it becomes no easy task to stage O'Neill's works for a contemporary audience who are accustomed to what passes for realism in both today's acting and drama. O'Neill's works are almost archetypal in nature. Indeed, they have more in common with the Greek tragedies than with our current dramas of domestic dysfunction, and they need to be staged and performed in the appropriate manner. Full points to Director Rebecca Frecknall who manages to rise to the occasion and to lay bare the soul of O'Neill's work. She is supported by a strong cast who after some initial awkwardness and unnecessary shouting at the beginning of Act I manage to find the rhythm and gravitas necessary to bring the audience into O'Neill's world which has its own reality and dark humour. As Phil Hogan, David Threlfall does an extraordinary job of hitting those comic notes, and he beautifully manages not to fall into the trap of simply making his character a sly buffoon. The real burden of bringing the audience into O'Neill's unique space, however, falls on Michael Shannon as James Tyrone and Ruth Wilson as Josie Hogan. The former's ability to portray a chronic drunk who is the guilt-ridden victim of a Madonna/Whore complex is a masterclass in acting. Suffice it to say, Shannon puts in an award-worthy performance. The challenge for Wilson is to create an image of brazen promiscuity and confidence while hiding an innocent heart that can provide both love and redemption. Hers is, perhaps, the most complex character O'Neill creates, and when the portrayal works, Wilson's performance is quite mesmerising. Her strength is the creation of the character's vulnerability, while her brashness sometimes seems overdone. The cocky, pugnacious Josie may be a bit too much Annie Get Your Gun for our taste. A Moon for the Misbegotten isn't the masterwork that is Long Day's Journey into Night, but this production is not-to-be-missed staging of Eugene O'Neill's lesser known classic.
Rated: ★★★★★
Reviewed by J.C.
Photo by Marc Brenner
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