REVIEW: PADDY GOES TO PETRA Written & Directed By Áine Ryan at Brockley Jack Theatre 1 – 5 November 2022

‘Poetic and Poignant’ ★★★★ ½

I’ve been lucky enough to review a number of shows for London Pub Theatres this year but hadn’t seen THE show that would live in the memory and cause one’s heart to sing. Until now. Hurrah!

The chameleon-like auditorium of the marvellous Brockley Jack Theatre had been transformed into a plausible Bedouin tent, lit with oranges and reds with a soundscape echoing the hustle and bustle of Jordanian street-life. Juxtaposed with this is Paddy - an Irishman’s Irishman (at least on the face of it) - who finds himself transfixed and transformed by life in Petra and, over a period of time, discovers something of an inner peace against the noise.

On first meeting Paddy, a middle-aged Irish farmer, we see a man not truly living life - he’s just existing and plodding along. The literal and figurative journey that he undergoes brings with it a slew of traumatic, life changing events that have impacted him and his family, and we see how his relationship with his wife has drifted and almost stopped (she on the other hand… well… see the play). Paddy finds solace in the alleys and caves of Petra and, with the opening scene being book-ended by its end, (which feels a little underwhelming to be honest) we spend 70 minutes or so laughing, crying and musing with him.

In a way, Paddy Goes to Petra is standard theatrical fare - the jolly central character underpinned by melancholy, the slow reveal of dark secrets and tragic loss, the ‘surprise’ plot twist and at the end - some kid of redemption. What elevates this show are two things - the acting and, especially, the writing.

Irish actor Brendan Dunlea can gear shift from twinkling eyes to out and out desolation in a heartbeat. He holds the audiences gaze and, when he voices other characters (which rarely goes well in one actor shows), we never lose the narrative core and all the people he inhabits are fully rounded and believable. It’s an under-stated yet ‘full on’ performance as Dunlea brings both acting and life experience to the floor and he’s never too ‘showy’.

The writer and director Áine Ryan took a solo trip to Petra in 2018 and used her experience as the ‘tent pole’ from which she could layer over a story of grief and loss from the perspective of a middle-aged Irishman. Aided by Dunlea’s fine performance, the writing is rich in language and has a depth that shows an understanding of the human condition - there’s a particular line on marriage which is poetic and poignant. At times the show is laugh-out-loud funny, and it could slide into cliche or caricature - but it doesn’t. As a director, Ryan never lets the action drift and, crucially, never lets things fall into melodrama - Paddy’s movements around the stage (and through life) feel precise yet genuine and real. Ryan, also Irish but having studied at Goldsmith’s and now living in London, is clearly a huge talent and one to watch.

Paddy Goes to Petra works brilliantly at The Brockley Jack and Dunlea is terrific. No offence to him, but I’d love to see this show reach a wider audience - at, say, The Donmar with, say, Brendan Gleeson. For now, however, get to Brockley - quick!

Photographer credit: Steve Gregson.

Paddy goes to Petra by Áine Ryan

produced by Studio Perform Theatre

at Brockley Jack Theatre

1 – 5 November 2022

https://brockleyjack.co.uk/jackstudio-entry/paddy-goes-to-petra/

Actor: Brendan Dunlea (Ros na Rún, An Cailín Ciúin, The Quiet Girl, The Funeral Path)

Music: Cáit Ní Riain.

Reviewer: Paul Maidment

Paul had a long career at the BBC where he ran a number of commercial / digital businesses and he now consults to the creative content sector. His love of theatre came from his wife whom he met at university and he has been attending shows ever since. In 2021/22 Paul was a member of The Olivier Awards public panel which re-enforced his belief in theatre as the most exciting and engrossing cultural medium.