Tartuffe the imposter.

This post contains some swearing and disrespectful biblical references.

I saw this play twenty years ago up in the Big Potatoe and I was absolutely fascinated. Moliere's a god-damned* genius . And, if I can be forgiven another religious reference, it's a hell of a play to perform also. (Boom-Boom!) A great tragedy then, that this Wednesday night, the Torch Players were to 'cast their pearls before Gaderene swine'; three instances of unpardonable rudeness, (that distracted us during the performance) were:

*(literally 'god-damned' according to the Catholic Church when this play came out; anyone who attended a performance of it was immediately excommunicated)

#1. Extremely noisy sweetie-eater.

#2. Mobile phone web-surfer.

#3. Somebody cutting sheet metal at the back of the theatre.

The sound of this last action has been an interruption I have endured patiently over the last few weeks; during the performance of The Rabbit-Hole, during the performance of The Mai, during the performance of The Glass Menagerie and during the performance of The Blanch but it wasn't until last night that I discovered that these muted 'building sounds' are actually a deliberate attempt to disrupt the show.

One man with a gripe and an angle grinder has made it his mission to interrupt performers and lessen other peoples' enjoyment because {Hearsay begins} during the Belltable renovations, access was cut off to his workshop by scaffolding and trucks.
He believes his business suffered as a result, and is demanding compensation.{Hearsay ends} I don't know anything about his claim but I have to confess I'm absolutely horrified by his methods. It's just so arrogant, so small-minded, so disrespectful and so...so fucking mean.

I hope he doesn't get a penny.



Tartuffe then, it's an old-fashioned, wordy play perhaps not everyone's cup of tea ,but fuck them, cos it's brilliant. The text is a challenge that some rose to better than others but over-all it was a fine peice of work that the Torchies have made for us.

The set and the costumes were spectacular, the comic set-pieces were brilliantly done, with a real sense of fun. The music was great, the style was great, and of course the script is exceptional.

Micheal ODubhgaill was strong and able as the scheming God-botherer of the title, Sheena Murphy shone (Sheena shone?) in the panto-type role of the outspoken maid Dorine and Edel Heaney was hilarious as the merchants' wife Elmire.
But really the cast in their entirety deserve credit for the work they have clearly put into this.

I wasn't happy about the ticket price (€13/€16), but you do get your moneys' worth. It's on until Saturday and I recommend you go.

'Go' I said.