D'Unbelievables at Glór

As an extra night was added to an already sold out extended run we went along to hear  Jon Kenny and Pat Short reunited for nationwide tour. What new sharp observations would they have on contemporary rural Ireland since their last outing  some years ago? I wondered. They certainly had much potential material to work with. 

Pat Shortt

Sad to say there was little change in their set which was pretty much as I remember it from the 1990's.  They relied very much on a lively enthusiastic audience  and the production  values were poor.   There were no live musicians and the script was dated , a rehash of the former show with very little  to update it to contemporary Ireland.  

The second half was stronger and Jon Kenny's solo monologues had some well drawn characters with real pathos in  the returned emigrant  uncle,( longer away than he had lived at home) ; Aunt Josie was genuinely funny. I felt Jon's solo show ( with musician) in Glór last year was  a better production than tonight's effort.

Jon Kenny

 The extension of the action into the lobby   during the interval  was a novel  feature and the projected church window set was effective. It would probably have been quite a pleasant evening if you came with a large, good humoured party intent on having a good time and the audience tonight did come  in  ready to engage and   responded  well to the show, but it lacked an edge and it was tempting to go home at half time. One of the strenghts of D'Unbelievables is their ability  to tap into  rural Ireland  and their characters are credible and  lampooned in an affectionate manner.  But there is for me more humour in the current political coverage of local parish pump politicians like Mattie McGrath, Willie O'Dea and the Healy-Raes  than in the material served up here.

 Not the best value I have had at Glor with ticket prices at €30 for a two hander .  Disappointing. I suspect both of them are capable of producing a much stronger show than the one I saw tonight .