Review Faith Healer at the Library Theatre, until 17th November

Continuing the autumn season at the Library Theatre, Brian Friel's play Faith Healer is a poignant success.

Faith Healer is Brian Friel's award-winning 1979 play which follows the Irish traveling faith healer Frank (Ged McKenna), his long-suffering wife Grace (Stella Madden) and his Cockney agent Teddy (Kim Durham) as they retell the events leading up to Frank's return to Ireland.

The essence of the play was revealed even before the actors appeared on stage. Stepping into the theatre the audience was faced with a row of chairs arranged as if for a performance. A giant poster hung overhead like an image of an icon in a church, with the words "The Fantastic Francis Hardy, Faith Healer, One Night Only" emblazoned on it.

This remained on stage throughout the four monologues which made up the play, acting as a constant reminder of the harsh truth in the story being told. The tale, ultimately about the uncertainty of talent, was summed up the choice of words and especially the ironic wink of the last three, which underlined the longevity of success an artist can enjoy. The empty chairs which accompanied Frank's monologue acted as a visual precursor to the eventual revelation of his failure.

Faith Healer is not a light-hearted affair, covering some tragic episodes in the character's lives. However, the actors were more than capable of handling the demands of the script, portraying their characters with dignity and sensitivity. This is especially true of Kim Durham, who provided the play with one of its most moving scenes as Teddy explores the darkest moments of Frank and Grace's relationship.

But the play is not without humour, and where it sets out to be funny it really is. Here again, Kim Durham was especially outstanding. His anecdote about a bagpipe-playing whippet was a particular crowd-pleaser.

Throughout the play the atmosphere was an eerie one, aided by the low lighting and the music, Fred Astaire's Just The Way You Are, played on an old record player during Frank's monologue and then later sung by Teddy. The repeated reciting of Welsh and Scottish place names, first by Frank and then by Grace, sounded like a prayer which complimented the religious-like devotion to Frank channeled by the ever-present poster.

The combination of these various subtle yet powerful elements and the seamless acting from all three actors makes this play a great success.

Words: Kamila Rymajdo