Brian Friel’s 1980 play Translations is a marvellous piece of writing and tonight at the Oxford Playhouse the English Touring Theatre brought the words wonderfully to life. For almost three hours, I actually felt like I was in 19th century Ireland – whatever questions of miscommunication are addressed in the play, there are no boundaries between the actors and the audience. Even the fact that some characters speak English and some Irish although the actors all speak English doesn’t cause confusion – a mastery of language on the part of Friel, and of dramatic ability of the part of the cast.
The staging is simple – an old stone house, rickety wooden stairs, and a broken door. All the action takes place in front of this set, mainly in the form of a rural “hedge school”, with stools and a podium to accommodate the large cast who gather around the eccentric schoolmaster, Hugh, played by Niall Buggy. He schools them in Latin and Greek, in stories and languages as rich as their own Irish.
Hugh’s two sons, Manus and Owen, take on the role of the translators in the play – both speak Latin, Greek, English, and Irish. Manus, played by Ciarán O’Brien, uses his position as translator to help others – he looks after his heavy-drinking father, teaches Sarah (Roxanna Nic Laim), who has a speech impediment, to speak, and tries to assist his father’s class in their lessons. The other brother, Owen, played by Cian Barry, uses his role as translator for his own gain, getting paid to aid the English in their colonisation of the area. Both translators are betrayed by communication in the end – Owen realises, too late, that the changing of names has gone too far and that his heritage is being lost, Manus fails to notice that communication has broken down between him and his love Máire (Beth Cook), until he loses her to an English soldier, Yolland (James Northcote).
The play is full of opposites and contradictions – the characters attend a christening and a wake for the same baby; the English captain, Lancey, played by Paul Cawley, makes a speech which Owen misrepresents to make the English more welcome by the Irish; most of the characters make long speeches, Sarah only has a few words and each of these are forced. Cheery music and dancing throw into sharp relief the violence which pervades the second half of the play.
This is an outstanding production of a very thought-provoking and moving play. I can’t stress my recommendation enough that you go and see Translations before the English Touring Theatre leave Oxford after Saturday 5th April. ★★★★★ @BookingAround
