Eagles Lounge, C Aquila
Aug 12th, 2023

Castigat Ridendo Mores

Yesterday’s comedic play quirkily called ‘2nd Picture of Dorian Gray’ was hosted at Eagle Lodge, C Aquila in a production to take on Oscar Wilde’s work. It was a nonstop pace of tantalising funniness.

The room up the stairs was big enough to host the 9 performers. I had chosen it to revel in an hour of good quality theatre and was given comedy of side splitting effect. The ‘Macready Theatre Young Actors’ presentation was a charmingly portrayed farce that had the presence of fun in spades.

The audience (seated in a few rows) were up for it and I noticed joyful smiles of appreciation for all the genuine humour curtailed. The effects were of a stage of confidence in the short spectacular showcase as they jumped around an empty picture frame and discussed art and its processes in portraiture.

Then came the search for Dori! A search that offered an array of material that buzzed around the stage and its advantageously lined presence. The youthful cast; had this funny sense of good humour that successfully looked effortless. And the undeniable physicality immersed itself well in a performance where free rein was given merit and much went on between the Wilde like dialogues.

In a piece like this where the cast were in numbers, the experience takes on a whole other style and fit. And as they busily went about communicating together, gathering an appearance that ruminated from every individual. The timing was in a flow and rhythm that in comedy took advantage of very favourable theatre flittering through all its characters and their quirks. Playing around with ease and a formidable grasp on the air of equanimity as it took a most exciting hold to the quality of the play.

As each made their contributions with everything coming up the greatest of visual triumph was often achieved. Putting comedy into place and celebrating the calamity to its fullest richness. In the movement that poured through lines of true, fully charged and delighting punch lines to hit the right spot, resounding with the pleasure of a multi skilled theatrical situation.

For laughs and jokes the action showed precision with a greatly bonded set of personalities. In an offering of high energy and simple extravagance and a story now set in time. More than happy to be absurd and get it on with our full attention and admiration, we sat back and were transposed into hilarity. A wonderfully sensational story of light hearted exuberance and total comedy.

Daniel Donnelly