The Big Fellah

Synopsis

Young fireman Michael Doyle decides to live up to his Irish heritage by joining the IRA. He’s recruited by Costello, the charismatic ‘Big Fellah’, who wants to use Doyle’s brownstone apartment in The Bronx as a safe house for an escaped killer. But it soon becomes clear that someone is leaking information to the FBI... A boisterous and witty story of loyalty, disillusionment and betrayal, set among the Irish American community of New York, Richard Bean’s (Harvest and England People Very Nice) darkly funny play spans three turbulent decades.

Our Review:

Michael Coveney - 27 September 2010

Richard Bean follows his well-crafted farcical thriller House of Games at the Almeida with another skilfully composed comedy for Max Stafford-Clark’s Out of Joint touring company.

It’s as if Bean is atoning for the episodic bagginess of his riotous England People Very Nice at the National. The play marks a real return to form, too, for Stafford-Clark, whose hand-picked cast of seven resourceful actors animates sharply written, wryly critical New York background notes to the IRA terrorist campaign from 1972 to 2001.

The setting is a New York brownstone in the Bronx, where the “big fellah” – Finbar Lynch as the sinister, smooth-talking Costello – whom we first see fund-raising like a comedian at a black tie dinner, establishes a safe house for Rory Keenan’s “heroic” killer, Ruairi O’Drisceoil.

The apartment belongs to fireman Michael Doyle (David Ricardo-Pearce), absurdly honouring...

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Latest User Review

Gareth James - 23 September 2010:

The review below is clearly for a different play. This one's a cracker of a play! Playwright Richard Bean takes a fresh look at ‘the troubles’ from a highly original perspective – an IRA (later Real IRA) cell in New York City. By starting just after Bloody Sunday and continuing through the Good Friday agreement to 09/11 some 30 years later and almost 10 years ago, he takes an objective historical perspective. The play examines the motivation of Irish Americans to provide both funds and more active support to the IRA, a combination of emotional attachment to their roots and a profound naivety brought into sharp focus when Islamic terrorism emerges. The loyalties evolve into betrayal, disillusionment and power games that become very ugly. What’s so clever is the way he really makes you think whilst you’re laughing uproariously. The crackling, sparkling dialogue is simply brilliant, and it’s delivered superbly by a fine ensemble. Max Stafford Clark’s direction is impeccable with not a moment wasted; what you get out of 100 minutes playing time makes you realise how much padding most plays have got. Often very funny, often dark, sometimes chilling but always thought-provoking. A deeply satisfying evening in the theatre. GO! ...

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