Misha Fitzgibbon in The Atonement of Lesley Ann
by Síomón Solomon
Photo by Anna McLoughlin
Photo by Anna McLoughlin
Ghosts have been an integral part of drama since ancient Greece and, arguably, the theatre itself is an inherently uncanny space; one that evokes all kinds of feelings, memories, and spirits, etc.
So I was pleased to see that Irish playwright Síomón Solomon made a spectral figure central to his work The Atonement of Lesley Ann, which premiered on February 15th at the Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin, as part of the Scene and Heard Festival (2020), directed by Larissa Brigatti and starring the young actress Misha Fitzgibbon [1].
Of course, there are critics and theatregoers who roll their eyes whenever a ghost appears on stage and feel that supernatural elements detract from the seriousness and realism of a work. Indeed, for such people, there is the danger also that otherworldly apparitions unintentionally give rise to comedy and cause sniggering rather than induce terror.
Others just find ghosts on stage old-fashioned; it reminds them too much of Victorian theatre which developed much of the technical trickery still used to scare us, such as the phantasmagoria, for example; "a spooky magic lantern show in which images of the dead, projected onto smoke, loomed menacingly over the spectators. To make the effect even more chilling, the audience sat in the dark for the first time ever in the British theatre, the spectres floating out of the black towards them." [2]
But, as I say, I was glad to see Solomon - whose interest in and knowledge of all things that go bump in the night is extensive - have the courage to write the work he wanted to write and ignore those who told him to reconsider (i.e. abandon) the more occult elements and root the play firmly in the real world.
Such critical advice may be well-intentioned - it may even be very sensible - but, in my view, it entirely misses the point of what Solomon is attempting to do in this genre-defying and daringly experimental work. Sure, he could exorcise the ghost and remove the poetry and, yes, that
would simplify things; but sometimes less is not more, it is simply
less (as in less imaginative, less, intelligent, and less interesting).
My hope is that The Atonement of Lesley Ann will one day receive the full-production, wide audience, and critical acclaim that it deserves.
Notes
[1] It might be noted that, although young, Miss Fitzgibbon was - against the author's own wishes - significantly older than the murdered ten-year-old whose terrible case the work is based on. Whilst I understand there are issues surrounding the casting of minors in works that deal with adult themes, by not using a child in the lead it's undeniable that some of the shock value and horror of the story is lessened.
[2] Sophie Nield, 'Theatre of screams: on ghosts and drama', The Guardian (1 Nov 2010), click here.
For additional thoughts on The Atonement of Lesley Ann, click here. And for still further thoughts, click here.
