 The “kitchen sink” genre, which focused on the seedy underbelly of life, experienced a surge in popularity in Britain during the 1960s. In The Night Alive, directed by Allan Hart and produced by Tower Theatre, Irish playwright Conor McPherson brings it to modern day Ireland. Drifter Tommy (Kevin Furness) lives in an impromptu bedsit in the basement of his Uncle Maurice’s (Peta Barker) crumbing Dublin villa. Making a living from odd jobs with the help of his slow friend Doc (Alan Maddrell), their existence is disrupted when he rescues prostitute Aimee (Laura Fleming) from a fight with her boyfriend/pimp Kenneth (Elliot Archer). After Tommy patches up her cuts and bruises, they begin a relationship. McPherson’s writing doesn’t shy away from the earthy and adult nature of the location. Still, amidst the grit. there is both humour and warmth. Indeed, the central theme of the play is the connection between the three men, who despite occasionally stealing from, and exploiting, each other, have a strong and genuine friendship. It’s significant that all three are suffering a degree of loss, whether it is Maurice’s mourning for the loss of his late wife or Tommys and Doc’s estrangement from their families.
 You even get hints that McPherson may have intended the play to be a metaphor for modern Ireland, a country clearly much more prosperous than it was even a generation ago, but also one where inequality has grown, and values have changed. In this case, middle-aged Tommy, with his never-quite-realised dreams of moving to Europe, and charming naïveté about drugs, acts as a bridge between the older, more traditional Maurice and Aimee who represents the younger generations. Given the small cast, the success of the play hinges on the quality of the performances, and thankfully, these are very strong. Kevin Furness is a charming Tommy, while Peta Barker captures Maurice’s mixture of bad temper and big heartedness. Laura Fleming and Elliott Archer also ably play their characters. However, it is Alan Maddrell who ends up stealing the show as Doc. Overall, while some people may enjoy it more than others, this play is definitely worth catching.
 The crew included Max Batty as set designer, Stephen Ley with lighting, Sue Carling with costumes, Feiyang Yang as sound and assistant director and Richard Kirby as fight director. Ragan Keefer was stage manager with Isabel Quiroz as ASM. Others who helped out were Juliet Webster, Anna Kidd, Tom Tillery, Ann Watchorn, Angelika Michitsch, Phillip Ley, Andy Hind, Gary O’Keefe, Keith Syrett and John McSpadyen.
Photography by Pau Ros
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