Stage Review - The Seafarer (Lakewood Playhouse)
Stage Review - The Seafarer
Presented By: Lakewood Playhouse, Lakewood, WA
Date Reviewed: Friday, December 8, 2023
Reviewed By: Greg Heilman
Christmas stories come in many forms. Some are romantic, some religious, and some are just plain fun. There are also stories that seem to transcend the holiday, that deal with themes important not just during the Christmas season, the best ones tackling matters of the soul, tales of reflection and redemption that are impactful on those taking in the telling. The Seafarer is one of these such plays. Written by Irish playwright Conor McPherson, The Seafarer is about self-reflection, tolerance, friendship, and family. It’s also currently onstage at the Lakewood Playhouse through December 17. Directed by Frank Thompson, the Lakewood Playhouse version combines this delightfully heartfelt and humorous show with an excellent cast to produce a truly unique theatre experience.
The Seafarer centers on Sharky, a sort of journeyman who seems to have jumped from job to job over the years, most recently finishing a stint as a chauffeur and returning to Dublin to take care of his brother Richard, who, as the result of a freak accident, has recently become blind. Their relationship is nothing if not rocky, Sharky’s attempts to avoid alcohol for the holidays constantly challenged by Richard’s constant desire for a dram (or three). Sharky is well intentioned, though, and with family friend Ivan, who it seems Richard would rather have take care of him, they muddle through Christmas eve together, doing their best to salvage what they can of the holiday from their circumstances. The scene is what you might expect from a group of Irishmen confined to one location in the middle of winter. There’s some drinking, a decent amount of yelling, and a fair share of cursing. Oh, and of course the odd drink, which doesn’t make any of the other things better. Things take a turn, though, when Nicky Giblin stops by. Nicky is also a friend, at least of Richard and Ivan, and surely at one time of Sharky as well. As it turns out, Nicky is married to Sharky’s ex-wife, so when Nicky comes to visit on Christmas day, it adds a bit more drama to the roux. But Nicky isn’t alone, either. He arrives at Sharky’s with Mr. Lockhart, a sharp dressed stranger who Nicky has befriended, at least for the holiday, and as the night progresses, it becomes apparent that Mr. Lockhart is perhaps a little more than what he seems. And when the group sits down for their traditional Christmas game of poker, the holiday becomes a high stakes affair that has the entire group seeking clarity in themselves and each other.
What makes this play work, when it does, more than anything is the quality of its ensemble cast, and the group that director Frank Thompson has assembled for his Lakewood Playhouse production is superb. There’s not a miss here. Their portrayals of Dubliners are so spot on, it almost makes one read the playbill again to see if any of the actors are native Irishmen. All of this without a credited dialect coach for the show. But it’s not just the accents. Brian S. Lewis’ portrayal of Sharky captures the inner conflict this character has perfectly. Sharky is haunted by his own demons, and he’s constantly struggling to keep them at bay so that he can be present and help deal with the needs of his brother. He’s also the fulcrum in this play, each supporting character clamoring for him when it’s not necessarily reciprocated. Brian exudes these conflicts, his portrayal rife with them, and handles the complexity of Sharky seemingly without issue. Playing against Sharky is brother Richard, handled here by Wesley Walker. There’s nuance to this character, though it may not seem so at first. Richard is constantly looking for his next drink, and he’s loud and angry. But he’s also got a sadness that is right there below the surface, something that’s not out in the open, but it’s in Wesley’s eyes, and that subtlety is the beauty of this performance. The relationship between the brothers is tenuous at best, but its foundation is in love. That’s especially clear with the interactions between Brian and Wesley as their characters.
Friend Ivan is played here by Gabriel McClellend and Nicky by Luke Amundson. These are polar opposite characters in personality. Ivan is quieter, sad, a little forlorn. Nicky is boisterous, loud, and exceedingly happy. Both are excellently performed. Luke’s Nicky seems like the kind of person you’d want to go have a drink with at the pub, while Ivan is the kind who you feel just needs a hug. Both actors clearly understand the role of their characters in support of the story and both are exemplary. Rounding out the cast is Martin J. Mackenzie as the mysterious Mr. Lockhart. Martin has the innate ability to change the mood of a scene with a look, or just in the way he says something. As we learn more about this character during the progression of the play, Martin’s performance gets better and better. From top to bottom, this cast performs their characters excellently, but as an ensemble, you’d think that they have been performing this show together for much longer than they have.
There’s a mystical quality about The Seafarer. After all, it is a Christmas story, and what is a Christmas story without a little magic. True, it’s the cast that ultimately brings the words on the page to life, but it’s a good creative team that can do just the right amount to capture the essence of the story without doing too much to make it seem artificial. That’s exactly what Frank’s team has done here. Erin Manza Chanfrau’s set design isn’t anything overly complicated, and it’s static throughout the show, but it’s laid out very well, giving the implication of separation while being open and allowing the actors space to move as freely as they need to. It feels like a working class Irish home. Niclas Olson’s lighting and Dylan Twiner’s sound designs are subtle but true. Listen for the constant hum of the winter wind outside and take notice of the faulty wall sconce that Sharky just can’t seem to get to work. Small details, but they all contribute greatly to the telling.
The Lakewood Playhouse production of The Seafarer takes the best of what makes up any really good Christmas story and takes it to another level. Performed by a superb cast guided under the direction of Frank Thompson, this mystical story of family, conscience, and redemption set in Ireland stands out among the other seasonal tales currently in the offing and is something you’ll not soon forget.
The Seafarer runs on stage at Lakewood Playhouse through December 17. For more information and tickets, visit https://www.lakewoodplayhouse.org/. Note that there are adult situations and language in this show.
