A MAN OF NO IMPORTANCE
at the
Arts Theatre
Reviews
Run:
10th - 27th February 2010
Times:
Tuesdays to Saturday Evenings at 7.30 pm, Wednesday's and Saturdays at 2.30 pm, Sundays at 5.00 pm
Tickets
£15.00, £20.00 & £25.00
Book by Terrence McNally
Lyric by Lynn Ahrens
Music by Stephen Flaherty
Directed by Ben De Wynter
A Regan De Wynter Production
Barra Collins is appearing as Sully O'Hara in A Man of No Importance.
See news in Playbill
Reviews of the Union performances
First performed at Lincoln Center Theatre, Sep. 2002
Winner, 2003 Outer Critics Circle Award for Best off-Broadway musical
A chamber musical about the power the theatre has to transform our lives and the capacity each of us has to love one another, A Man Of No Importance is a rare gem in the musical theatre canon.
Based on a 1994 independent film starring Albert Finney, A Man Of No Importance is about the journey of self-discovery and acceptance of Alfie Byrne, a Dublin bus conductor who is prone to reciting poetry to the patrons on his bus. He is also the director of the local community theatre, which operates out of a small parish hall in the neighborhood church. Alfie’s passengers are also his performers: amateur thespians that come to see the magic the theatre offers through Alfie’s eyes.
They inhabit the world of working-class Dublin in the 1960s, a world where the budding sexual freedom happening in other places is barely whispered about. Through the beautiful book by Terrence McNally, and the lyrical grace of the score by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, the team that brought us the magnificent Ragtime The Musical now shine their light on A Man Of No Importance, illuminating the feeling we have all felt at one time or another of being an outsider and our universal need to love and be loved in return, connecting to something larger than ourselves.
ARTS THEATRE REVIEWS
I can’t recommend this enough, so don’t miss out on this new opportunity to see this little gem. It may be small in outlook, especially compared to the other musicals on the West End stage, but its impact is genuinely huge and it can call itself at least the equal of anything else currently in London.
Read more at There Ought To Be Clowns
...great songs and strong casting...In the lead role of Alfie, Paul Clarkson is simply wonderful...
... the rest of the ensemble ably supported with lovely harmonies and nice comic nuances, eliciting a vocal standout from Barra Collins (Sully O'Hara) and a comic one from the brilliant Jamie Honeybourne (Ernie Lally). While A Man Of No Importance could benefit from some tightening (possible) and better writing for some of the characters (not going to happen), it is a sweet, compelling piece that more than deserved its transfer and will hopefully bring a new audience to the Union.
Read more at Broadwayworld
This is a musical full of heart with charming music and a wonderful ensemble; each character a fully rounded persona and a joy to watch.
A simple set depicting the old church hall plays host to this glorious piece of theatre.
Read more at tHE British Theatre Guide
It is a joy to leave the Arts after a show with not black murder but a song in one’s heart. 4 star rating
Read more at Financial Times
UNION REVIEWS
One of the potentially sublime qualities of fringe theatre productions is that they can reinforce the fact that it is not necessary to have the stage filled with epic-scale scenery or helicopters in order to present a great piece of musical theatre - provided that the piece in itself is dramatically and musically strong, the performances compelling and the direction cleverly inventive. All three of these elements are present in the current production of the musical A Man Of No Importance at Southwark's excellent fringe space, the Union Theatre.
The same quality of restrained and perfectly observed emotion is evident in Ben De Winter's direction and the performances of the entire cast - and notably Patrick Kelliher as bus driver Robbie, Roisin Sullivan as Adele (the girl Alfie chooses as his Salome) and the brilliant Paul Clarkson as Alfie.
As a musical, the show does not have the sweeping score of Flaherty and Ahrens' masterwork, Ragtime, but it is full of beautiful vignettes such as Princess, Man In The Mirror and Love Who You Love as well as the terrific Streets Of Dublin. It is a wonderful example of a musical that works simply because of its ability to reach out to its audience with the ring of truth. And in this superb production at the Union Theatre it rings out in simplistic triumph.
Broadway World
There are not many fringe stage productions that make you feel as though you have front seats at a large stage but ‘A Man of No Importance’ is certainly one of them. With a relatively large cast and a fantastic score, this musical drama warmed the heart on what was a very wet night. With many a song that would stay in your head and fine acting, this made for a great night out.
The Public Reviews
Also up for a big pat on the back is designer James Turner for a set that reflects the humbleness of the Byrne household, and the budget facilities of the church hall rather than just the limited finances of the producers, and choreographer Phyllida Crowley-Smith for devising lively ensemble pieces, especially "Going Up" which was delightfully funny, though the spinning umbrellas device is a cliché she should have avoided.
The unpretentious and moving lyrics of Lynn Ahrens are an accomplishment. They are almost pedestrian in their lack of complexity but in so being completely suit the unsophisticated characters that sing them, and the unfussy, well-matched score by Stephen Flaherty evokes a traditional Dublin.
The star of the show is Paul Clarkson. His is an outstanding performance that captures Alfie's innocence and self-effacing demeanour whilst always having great presence on stage. The perfect stillness of "Man in the Mirror" shows not only De Wynter's good directorial judgment but shows off Clarkson's interpretive skill, as does "Welcome to the World".
British Theatre Guide
...the cast of other assorted characters are well-drawn by the company members who throw themselves into the singing and dancing. There is much good humour in the piece and some nice jokes such as the ladies of the chorus coming up with suitable ways of doing Salome’s infamous ‘Dance of the Seven Veils’ including the use of zippers! Ben De Wynter’s production is well-paced and enhanced by some evocative designs by James Turner, who captures well the spirit of the ‘am-dram’ mentality. Chris Peake’s band provides a substantial backing.
Classical Source
Director Ben De Wynter has brought together a strong ensemble who inhabit their roles with conviction. Paul Clarkson is adorable as Alfie, handling the complexities of character and Alfie’s journey of self-discovery with dignity and style. The role of Carney is a difficult one to pull off without lapsing into caricature and Paul Monaghan captures it perfectly. Patrick Kelliher as Robbie and Roisin Sullivan as Adele are perfectly cast and the score affords them the opportunity of some great songs, particularly Sullivan’s Princess and Kelliher’s rousing The Streets of Dublin.
The Stage
at the
Arts Theatre
Reviews
| Run: | 10th - 27th February 2010 |
| Times: | Tuesdays to Saturday Evenings at 7.30 pm, Wednesday's and Saturdays at 2.30 pm, Sundays at 5.00 pm |
| Tickets | £15.00, £20.00 & £25.00 |
Book by Terrence McNally
Lyric by Lynn Ahrens
Music by Stephen Flaherty
Directed by Ben De Wynter
A Regan De Wynter Production
Barra Collins is appearing as Sully O'Hara in A Man of No Importance.
See news in Playbill
Reviews of the Union performances
First performed at Lincoln Center Theatre, Sep. 2002
Winner, 2003 Outer Critics Circle Award for Best off-Broadway musical
A chamber musical about the power the theatre has to transform our lives and the capacity each of us has to love one another, A Man Of No Importance is a rare gem in the musical theatre canon.
Based on a 1994 independent film starring Albert Finney, A Man Of No Importance is about the journey of self-discovery and acceptance of Alfie Byrne, a Dublin bus conductor who is prone to reciting poetry to the patrons on his bus. He is also the director of the local community theatre, which operates out of a small parish hall in the neighborhood church. Alfie’s passengers are also his performers: amateur thespians that come to see the magic the theatre offers through Alfie’s eyes.
They inhabit the world of working-class Dublin in the 1960s, a world where the budding sexual freedom happening in other places is barely whispered about. Through the beautiful book by Terrence McNally, and the lyrical grace of the score by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, the team that brought us the magnificent Ragtime The Musical now shine their light on A Man Of No Importance, illuminating the feeling we have all felt at one time or another of being an outsider and our universal need to love and be loved in return, connecting to something larger than ourselves.
ARTS THEATRE REVIEWS
I can’t recommend this enough, so don’t miss out on this new opportunity to see this little gem. It may be small in outlook, especially compared to the other musicals on the West End stage, but its impact is genuinely huge and it can call itself at least the equal of anything else currently in London.
Read more at There Ought To Be Clowns
...great songs and strong casting...In the lead role of Alfie, Paul Clarkson is simply wonderful...
... the rest of the ensemble ably supported with lovely harmonies and nice comic nuances, eliciting a vocal standout from Barra Collins (Sully O'Hara) and a comic one from the brilliant Jamie Honeybourne (Ernie Lally). While A Man Of No Importance could benefit from some tightening (possible) and better writing for some of the characters (not going to happen), it is a sweet, compelling piece that more than deserved its transfer and will hopefully bring a new audience to the Union.
Read more at Broadwayworld
This is a musical full of heart with charming music and a wonderful ensemble; each character a fully rounded persona and a joy to watch.
A simple set depicting the old church hall plays host to this glorious piece of theatre.
Read more at tHE British Theatre Guide
It is a joy to leave the Arts after a show with not black murder but a song in one’s heart. 4 star rating
Read more at Financial Times
UNION REVIEWS
One of the potentially sublime qualities of fringe theatre productions is that they can reinforce the fact that it is not necessary to have the stage filled with epic-scale scenery or helicopters in order to present a great piece of musical theatre - provided that the piece in itself is dramatically and musically strong, the performances compelling and the direction cleverly inventive. All three of these elements are present in the current production of the musical A Man Of No Importance at Southwark's excellent fringe space, the Union Theatre.
The same quality of restrained and perfectly observed emotion is evident in Ben De Winter's direction and the performances of the entire cast - and notably Patrick Kelliher as bus driver Robbie, Roisin Sullivan as Adele (the girl Alfie chooses as his Salome) and the brilliant Paul Clarkson as Alfie.
As a musical, the show does not have the sweeping score of Flaherty and Ahrens' masterwork, Ragtime, but it is full of beautiful vignettes such as Princess, Man In The Mirror and Love Who You Love as well as the terrific Streets Of Dublin. It is a wonderful example of a musical that works simply because of its ability to reach out to its audience with the ring of truth. And in this superb production at the Union Theatre it rings out in simplistic triumph.
Broadway World
There are not many fringe stage productions that make you feel as though you have front seats at a large stage but ‘A Man of No Importance’ is certainly one of them. With a relatively large cast and a fantastic score, this musical drama warmed the heart on what was a very wet night. With many a song that would stay in your head and fine acting, this made for a great night out.
The Public Reviews
Also up for a big pat on the back is designer James Turner for a set that reflects the humbleness of the Byrne household, and the budget facilities of the church hall rather than just the limited finances of the producers, and choreographer Phyllida Crowley-Smith for devising lively ensemble pieces, especially "Going Up" which was delightfully funny, though the spinning umbrellas device is a cliché she should have avoided.
The unpretentious and moving lyrics of Lynn Ahrens are an accomplishment. They are almost pedestrian in their lack of complexity but in so being completely suit the unsophisticated characters that sing them, and the unfussy, well-matched score by Stephen Flaherty evokes a traditional Dublin.
The star of the show is Paul Clarkson. His is an outstanding performance that captures Alfie's innocence and self-effacing demeanour whilst always having great presence on stage. The perfect stillness of "Man in the Mirror" shows not only De Wynter's good directorial judgment but shows off Clarkson's interpretive skill, as does "Welcome to the World".
British Theatre Guide
...the cast of other assorted characters are well-drawn by the company members who throw themselves into the singing and dancing. There is much good humour in the piece and some nice jokes such as the ladies of the chorus coming up with suitable ways of doing Salome’s infamous ‘Dance of the Seven Veils’ including the use of zippers! Ben De Wynter’s production is well-paced and enhanced by some evocative designs by James Turner, who captures well the spirit of the ‘am-dram’ mentality. Chris Peake’s band provides a substantial backing.
Classical Source
Director Ben De Wynter has brought together a strong ensemble who inhabit their roles with conviction. Paul Clarkson is adorable as Alfie, handling the complexities of character and Alfie’s journey of self-discovery with dignity and style. The role of Carney is a difficult one to pull off without lapsing into caricature and Paul Monaghan captures it perfectly. Patrick Kelliher as Robbie and Roisin Sullivan as Adele are perfectly cast and the score affords them the opportunity of some great songs, particularly Sullivan’s Princess and Kelliher’s rousing The Streets of Dublin. The Stage