Shadow of a Gunman - Sean O'Casey

14th - 17th Jan 2009

The Crescent Studio

Set in the Dublin slums in 1920, The Shadow of a Gunman follows the fate of a house full of characters who, due to circumstances beyond their control, are dragged into a situation of political unrest. Much of the text is heavily drawn from Casey's own experiences during his early years of writing when he too lived in poverty-stricken Dublin. 

Performed in a studio space, the tenement room in which the play is set served as the focal point, allowing every moment of the drama to be observed by the audience. The pivotal role of Donal Davoren saw Ethan Hudson in his first cast role with Stage2 confidently lead us through the turbulent journey of this play. A particularly remarkable aspect of the show was the use of pre-recorded film, so that the back wall was broken up into a number of small screens through which we could see into the world of the building’s other inhabitants and their reactions to the events, lending a powerful and absorbing atmosphere to the drama. It also solved the ‘problem’ of how to get 80 excited and eager young people actively involved in a studio show – once again upholding the rule that anyone can take part in a show without even auditioning.