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.

Rooted in the tragic history of Ireland, this play reflects the violent and social injustice that dominated Irish life. There are many detailed and clever subplots, a tentative love story, a political conflict, a comic interruption, a mysterious visit and an ill-founded rumour - which all collide in a series of seemingly unrelated events, later revealing their relevance and relationship with ultimately incriminating consequences.

In Stage2's production, Davoren and Shields's tenement room was intimately brought to life in the confines of the studio space, allowing the audience to see every look and pick up on every nuance. The walls of the world outside of the enclosure were stripped away to reveal all the neighbours' thoughts, feelings and opinions through use of an accompanying film, allowing the audience to not only view the action, but absorb the atmosphere of the time.