Janie and I both had a truly excellent evening of theatre with this one. If you are reading this piece wondering whether or not to see this play/production, please interrupt your reading, click this link to The Finborough and “sort yourself out” before reading any further on this piece.
We are fans of the Finborough, which tends to put on several productions a year that “float our boat”. This one certainly did.
For a start, the playwright is David Ireland. Janie and I saw his astonishing and wonderful play Cyprus Avenue in 2016…
…and I have been on the scout for his stuff ever since.
We missed out on his Ulster American when we went to the Edinburgh Fringe for a week in 2018, because I didn’t spot it ahead of time and learnt that it was the sold-out, must-see production of that season.
We might have missed out on What The Animals Say at the Finborough too, had it not been for a tangential e-conversation with Ben Schwarz about the Director, Harry Burton, a few weeks ago.
Ben was aware that Harry had been in touch with me, through Ogblog, about some earlier work…
…and that Harry & I had subsequently corresponded about theatre, Pinter, cricket and stuff.
Ben suggested that we three meet, I suggested that the last cricket match of the season at Lord’s in late September would be a suitable occasion, Ben discovered that Harry was going to be in full rehearsal for What The Animals Say at that time, and the rest is history.
For the record, Ben and I did spend a most enjoyable day at Lord’s for that match between Middlesex & Northants.
But I digress.
As indeed do the characters in What The Animals Say, verbally leaping around their earlier lives, their current lives, their aspirations, their dashed hopes, and, naturally, the Troubles. The politics of Northern Ireland is never far away in David Ireland’s work.
The largest heaps of praise, though, must go to the two actors, Robbie Martin and Matthew Blaney, who absolutely make this play dance off the page and onto the stage. Janie commented afterwards that this play could only possibly work on the stage if both actors were top notch.
Great praise also to Harry Burton, who has directed this short, powerful piece with aplomb.
This production really does deserve a larger audience. I feel like a stuck record when I say this about Finborough productions – but that house is so small and the runs are so short. Surely this production of What The Animals Say will be picked up for a transfer.
If it is still October 2026 and you read all the way to the end here without clicking the Finborough link and grabbing some tickets before it is too late…click here…Now please.