Matthew J. Keenan’s An Irish Carol is an interesting updated take on Charles Dickens’ classic, A Christmas Carol, with entertainingly colorful language and a heart-warming message through it all. … Keenan’s humor and passion for this story shines through his clever writing – giving us a realistic and refreshing spin on the classic.
To set the mood of the season, I was first welcomed into the theatre by an impressive stage design and Christmas music playing as well. It was apparent there was lots of detail put into this set and I enjoyed scanning through each little piece as I waited for the performance to begin. … From the beer dispensers behind the counter to the carefully hidden Christmas lights scattered among the decorations on top of the pub, I loved the subtlety of each intentional piece and prop placed on stage.
Kevin Adams’ performance in the main role of David definitely set the stage for how impressive the rest of the show was going to be. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing how he showed the character’s reluctance to change, but also showed the progression of character development at the same time. His exhibition of both grumpiness and sorrow came together and transformed by the end of the performance in a captivating capacity.
While every actor gave a rousing performance, the two that stood out the most to me were Dave Jourdan as Jim and Timothy H. Lynch as Frank. These two actors both played off each other so comfortably while also making their characters stand out individually. Jourdan’s take on Jim as the big-hearted, insightful, kind friend to each person in the pub made him instantly a top character of mine. … And his counterpart, Lynch as Frank, played the drunken, friendly, regular pub-goer who provided comic relief for most of the show, but also revealed a more melancholy side to him as well. Perhaps, the reason he is a regular at the pub. The way Lynch expressed this character, only to reveal a different side of him towards the end of his stage time, showed great complexity that this actor was able to portray so well.
I’m grateful I was able to see the theatre’s 11th season of this show and I understand why it continues performances each year. It’s a great kickoff to the Christmas season as it will not only make you laugh, but also gives you the opportunity to think about your life and reflect on this time of year.
