Hooked at Central Hall

  Hooked, written by Gillian Grattan and directed by Don Wyncherly is having a run at the Central Hall Theatre  in Waterford before moving to the Viking Theatre, Clontarf. Looking at the promotional shots  for Hooked,with a main protagonist sporting fishing gear and pink smalls,  you might expect a light hearted, farce, While there is an element of whimsy, Ballykissangel it ain't and  it is quite a bit murkier that. The plot synopsis is set out as  'Attractive young Dubliner, Lydia retreats to a small country village in an attempt to escape from her past and reinvent her future. She moves in next door to Tom and Mary, the typical country neighbours, or are they?
Lydia quickly becomes the object of curiosity not only for Tom and Mary but the community at large . Tension mounts between the two women, setting in motion a gripping and unexpected chain of events that threatens to expose the secrets and lies bubbling beneath the surface in this small, close-knit rural community'. 

Fab performance from @SeanaKerslake @stevieblo tina kellegher directed by @DonWycherley @CentralArts1 last night. pic.twitter.com/UqK9b0xpMd
— Gillian Grattan (@evilittlegenius) January 28, 2015

The  characters and their entanglements  are revealed through a series of monologues  with a simple backdrop a washing line and   a shelf of domestic odds and ends.  The performances are terrific. Tina Kellegher is the surly scheming  house wife. Steve Blount plays husband Tom -a bit of a gom with a penchant for satin and Seana Kerslake is hippy dippy  Lydia. The language is at times quite salty. It is funny The midweek  preview audience cackled frequently throughout. But there is an edge to it that did reel me in over the 90 minutes or so. With good sound effects, the piece has the rhythm and feel of a radio play.
This production is described as a professional directorial debut for the well known TV actor. (A radio version of the play garnered a PPI award in 2011). In 2012, a version of the play  was produced in New York under the title Fish Out of Water. While we rue  the loss of our professional theatre company Red Kettle it is good to see a good quality theatre in this intimate space.

Hooked  by Gillian Grattan continues at Central Hall, Waterford  until Saturday 31st Jan €15

Q& A with Director Don Wyncherly after Thursday performance.

Venue Notes.  Lighting was very subdued, too dark to read a programme during the delay before curtain up.