TO many English people Northern Ireland is a bit of a puzzle.
Starting with, what’s the story around naming a city Derry or Londonderry?
To people in the North of Ireland, that difference defines a person and indeed a community.
The difference is partially explained in the popular television comedy Derry Girls, where the cultural heart of the programme is well placed. A Londonderry version of the series would be intriguing.
On a more serious note, the issues still dominant in the six counties include Bloody Sunday and more recently the debates around abortion and same sex marriage.
And when you add in the situation around Stormont politics and matters such as Brexit, the Good Friday Agreement and the border, well then the head really begins to spin.
It’s easy to see that contemporary life in Derry/Londonderry is not all leprechauns, Riverdance and whiskey.
Even the long-running saga centered around the baking of a cake for a gay couple in 2015 says something about the culture and politics in the North.
Clearly there are many stories to be told about Northern Ireland but what stories should be told and who should tell the stories?
Kate Reid’s play at the Park Theatre in Finsbury Park addresses these head-on, wrapped within a domestic drama which breathes in all these diverse elements.
It’s not just the British that are baffled by the enigma of Northern Ireland but often Irish people themselves.
Putting the issues to one side, the play focuses on brother and sister Conor and Niamh and personal crises affecting their relationship.
Conor’s English fiancée happens to be a lawyer tasked with defending a British soldier involved in Bloody Sunday and Niamh’s discovery of a surprise pregnancy makes for two issues that need reconciling.
The play itself tackles these issues directly - with a talented cast of four, mixing domestic concerns with wider matters peppered with a dose of humour thrown in for good measure.
With barely a set to speak off and only a metal frame to denote scene changes, the audience are invited to watch the actors and actually listen to the play.
There are also some nice touches where the action stops and the cast go into a discussion as to where the play is going, what stories should be told, who should tell them and should they change the ending.
This breaking of the fourth wall is not a new theatrical devise, but it works well here given the complexity of the stories being told – all within 80 minutes with no interval – in a space of time that simply flies by.
It is difficult to pick out any of the cast members for extra credit, as they all put in faultless performances with sharp delivery and pace.
Some of the scenes are quick and punchy, others heart-wrenchingly poignant – a credit to director Gabriella Bird.
Many in the audience would be across all the issues covered in the play, but its non-Irish members may have had difficulty in grasping such a wide range of concerns.
Conversations after the show will therefore be interesting. Well worth a visit.
The 4th Country runs at the Park Theatre in Finsbury Park until February 5. For tickets click here.
