Translations

‘Translations’ was skilfully written in 1980 when Brian Friel, a bashful and withdrawn Belfast teacher, was in his early fifties. The Omagh born playwright, frustrated by the Unionist domination in Belfast, moved to Donegal. His main wish is that he will ‘acquire a religion, a philosophy, a sense of life that will make the end less frightening than it appears to me at this moment.'

'Translations' is considered the most significant Irish play of the last fifty years. Friel first produced the play with his own theatre and arts group, ‘Field Day’. This group’s main objective was to encourage cultural awareness and eradicate socio-political apathy in the North.

This humorous production, though strongly denied, is a skilfully written reflection of the recent Northern Ireland troubles. It is being performed nightly at the Irish Club Theatre, 61 Townshend Road, Subiaco until Saturday 12^th May. The start of this two and a quarter hour play is at 8.00 pm.

Preamble:  In 1704 English laws decreed that a Catholic could not stand for Parliament, or vote, join the armed forces, be a lawyer, be a Government official nor buy land; as a result 75 years later Catholics still only owned five percent of the land. A few Protestants were also caught up in this property inequity.

Inspired by the French Revolution, the locals revolted against British Imperialism leading to the Society of United Irishmen’s Rebellion of 1798. The rebellion failed, resulting in a large number of executions. The passing of the Act of Union in 1800 brought Ireland under the direct rule of the British Crown. 1823 saw the rise of Daniel O’Connell, who founded the Catholic Association, crusade for improved civil rights and social conditions for his countrymen. Six years later the Catholic Emancipation Act repealed the 1604 penal laws. However, O’Connell believed that by retaining the English language, Ireland would advance more rapidly, others thought it an insidious way for the British to control their neighbours.

          It is August 1833 in the village of Baile Beag in County Donegal. A new National School is being built where a select few children will be taught; the rest of the village has to attend one of the illegal Hedge Schools. At the opening of the play we find ourselves in such a hedge school, the decrepit building is only a couple of steps up from a black house (reingleis ti).

Young apprentice teacher, Manus (Martin McEneaney) is teaching a very shy teenage student, Sarah (Holly Emerson) some basic English. In the corner sits a drunken old man, Jimmy Jack (Peter Conlon) who is trying to improve his Latin and Greek, in between talking about girls’ breasts and trying his luck with poor Maire (Michelle Delaney). 

          Into the hedge school staggers the highly intoxicated headmaster, Hugh (Jim Motherway) who has just been to a christening. Another couple of pupils arrive, Bridget (Catherine Stewart) who pays her week’s dues for her lessons, and her boyfriend Doalty (Mark Tilly). Doalty tells everyone how they have just seen a couple of British soldiers in the village; they are with a smartly dressed young man. Just as he finishes his sentence, the young man walks through the door and hugs Hugh, and greets him ‘Hello father’. It is Owen (Steven Grant) Hugh’s son who left the area six years earlier to travel the country.

        Owen introduces his friends and employers, two British officers from London, the stern Captain Lancey (Martin Watkins) and his young handsome Lieutenant George (Steven Hounsome) who has just returned from Bombay. George has been given the job of translating all the Gaelic place names into English, whilst Lancey’s team carry out an accurate mapping of the Irish landscape. An armed extra English soldier (Steven Henderson) is always present to help enforce authority.

        That night at the local dance, everyone dances to the lively music of fiddler O’Shea (Sean Docherty – alternates with Charlie McCarthy). In the dim light Maire falls in love with George, as he too does for her, but language is a major barrier.

        As George looks at the place names, and tries to anglicise them with the help of Owen, he become aware of the centuries of history and tradition that have gone into these names. He realises that the locals will lose their identity.

        Manus and the headmaster are both offered lucrative jobs; could the British really be helping out and this be the beginning of a new positive life for the Irish? Or is this a matter of the British dividing and conquering the Gaelic society and traditions?

Director Ivan Motherway has skilfully directed dozens of Irish plays for the Irish Theatre Players, and he always manages to capture the mood and suffering of the time. Here, Ivan’s direction is assisted by Steven Henderson.

The cleverly written storyline is ‘all about language’ said the playwright; however, it is clear to see the similarity with the twentieth century happenings.

The set, by Ivan Motherway, is a dank building built with a mix of old stones and wooden strips (construction Rolande Browne, Steven Grant and Bernard McCreesh). The straw on the floor and the numerous reminders of the past, such as the milk churns and school slates add the final authentic touch. Sean Haining’s lighting was kept deliberately gloomy to emphasise the squalor of the school. Lisa Whelan had the tricky job of not only finding ragged outfits for the Irish but immaculate scarlet uniforms for the soldiers.

The acting was a little too fast to start, possibly nerves as there were three schools in the audience, but the cast soon settled down. They had large chunks of Latin, Greek and Gaelic script to deliver as part of their class lessons, this they did competently.

The cast created a wonderfully warm, community atmosphere which was later shattered by the powerful and disturbing Captain Lancey’s presence. The main performers worked well together, and gave excellent perfomances.

The theatre seems to be quite unirque in its ability to have full houses every night for the two-week run. An informative night at the theatre, and an insight into the English government’s heartless tactics