REVIEW: MAGPIE by Pigs Back Productions Camden Fringe at Old Red Lion Theatre 1 – 4 August

“Powerful piece that leaves no room for respite.” ★★★  ½

Magpie follows brothers Patrick and Michael Murphy, one a Freestate prison guard and the other an IRA Gunman, being held prisoner in Kilmainham Gaol, Ireland (1923). The country has been split in two by civil war and both brothers hold scars from their pasts. Over the next hour the audience will journey through their complicated history, differing views, and their experience of what has happened to their home.

The play starts with Michael scribbling in his book, chalking the walls of his cell to keep track of his imprisonment and talking to the Magpie bird outside. The presence of the bird acts as one of the pieces fixed points and we soon find ourselves engaging with it and what it represents to Michael first, and eventually Patrick.

The show rattles through at an incredible pace with Andrew Cusack anchoring the audience in with his portrayal of Michael. Cusack plays Michael with a frenetic energy despite the torments of his setting, leaving the audience rooting for him and his brother throughout. JohnJoe Irwin gives us the odd bit of room to breathe as Patrick, delivering a stoic and repressed performance that holds a strong inner life. Ronan Colfer is a fascinating watch as the priest, however I did find myself questioning whether I'm seeing the actor nervously cycle through the physicality he had set for the character or whether the actor’s choices have taken control a little too much, pushing us slightly to the edge of disbelief as he seemingly prowls around the stage, never finding comfort.

The actors have the talent to carry the emotional integrity of the piece truthfully. However, the speed of the piece did not allow me as an audience member to invest fully in the complexity of the brothers’ relationship.

These days audiences appreciate a shorter run time, but I found myself begging Magpie to give me more. The story needs the room to breathe, especially given the depth of its subject matter. All the ingredients are here for an exceptional show (talented actors, a meaty subject matter, time working against us all).  Magpie just needs to be brave enough to own it all a little more. 

To conclude, Magpie is an authentic and powerful piece of theatre that just slightly misses its full potential.

MAGPIE by Pigs Back Productions

Camden Fringe at Old Red Lion Theatre 1 – 4 August

Box Office https://camdenfringe.com/events/magpie/  

Instagram: pigs_back_productions

Reviewer bio

Heather is an actor, writer, and comedian. Since graduating from Drama school in 2022, she has gone on to perform her own solo play "Deadball" at the Wandsworth Fringe Festival (2023). She is currently in the process of rewriting a new play which made it to the final rounds of a new play call out by Middle Child Theatre.