Theatre review: West for the Weekend

Granary Theatre, Cork

Liam Heylin’s latest play is about a Cork solicitor, Sully, who has a gambling problem. Atypically for a solicitor, he speaks in a working-class accent, and is a law unto himself.

This one-man show opens on a Friday afternoon, with Sully escaping from the office to head west for the weekend, ducking and diving from his ex-wife and daughter, his girlfriend and his mother. Sully has money worries. With the short-lived optimism of a gambler, he puts all his money on an accumulator bet with the bookies. Meanwhile, a substantial sum of money is missing from the client account of his employer.

Chris Schmidt-Martin is energetic as the immature and hedonistic Sully. But Sully has no redeeming qualities. Apart from a smidgeon of concern for his brother’s health, he is self-seeking, inconsiderate, hyper, ill-mannered and delusional.

Sully had planned a weekend away with the lads, but all of them, bar one, have responsibilities and can’t go. Sully doesn’t want to know about his own responsibilities. Pathetically, his idea of spending time with his young daughter is to wave at her from the street, while talking to her on his phone.

While Sully’s language befits a Cork Celtic Tiger brat on his last legs, the play lacks the spark and heart of Irish Examiner court reporter Heylin’s hugely successful play, Love, Peace and Robbery. There’s the kernel of a good play here, but Sully is totally lacking in sympathy.

Final show tonight