All Through The House, directed by Patrick J. O'Reilly from Judith King's first full-length theatrical script, might alternatively be titled A Series Of Unfortunate Events And Expressions, simply because it's full of them. There really are no sane men or women in this collage of Christmas chaos, which utilizes and expands upon caricatures and clichés of dysfunction for humorous and shocking purposes. Little is new here, but the entertainment value is high, and that's exactly what one wants, even needs, during the winter months.
The traditional selling point of the typical dysfunctional family drama, black comedy or sitcom – from American Beauty, to The Simpsons, to even Give My Head Peace – is how alike everyone is beneath their surface characteristics, though they obviously wouldn't want to admit it. It's quite common for these families, and All Through The House's group is no different, to be united and split by their similarities as much as their differences. Family feuding can be both damaging and a restorative remedy – especially here and now, when it's supposed to be the “season to be jolly”.
And being jolly is the very last thing on the mind of the highly strung, airily pretentious Carol, played by actress Mary Jordan with a stance of faux command that echoes Carolyn Burnham and a much younger Hyacinth Bucket. Her daughter Ruth (a remarkable Victoria Armstrong) exhibits attempted punctuality on another end of the scale: while her mother is obsessed with keeping up appearances for Christmas, she is trying to finish some scripts in time.
The scripts in question are for Reign Of Blood, this play's Game Of Thrones, which acts as both a profession and a backdrop within the play to Carol, the actress, and Ruth, in production. (One's in front of the cameras, one's behind them.) For Carol and Ruth, there appears to be little difference between the on-screen fantasy and off-screen reality, because of their work ethic; for Ruth's father, Arthur (Stephen Beggs), his reality literally seems like a fantasy. His ten-year association with wild-minded partner Wendy (a scene-stealing Maria Connolly) has given him a new lease of life, and Wendy's daughter Pat (Bernadette Brown) stokes up irritation in Ruth at every opportunity during her early appearances.
It is easy to assume at this moment that Carol and Ruth should be in a different show to Wendy and Pat; that is, swift, dark satire meets broad comedy, with Arthur as the smiling middleman. But as the play proceeds, facades crack and the characters converge in a cascade of high octane craziness and minor poignancy where everyone is not so different after all. It's a tried-and-trusted artistic theme, but writer King and director O'Reilly freshen it by presenting it in a swift, frequently amusing manner.
Riots, rivalries and revelations decorate the tapestry of a play that thrives not so much through narrative consistency as efficient and exaggerated expressionism. There is something to be entertained or intrigued by everywhere you look, with O'Reilly actively working to keep his cast on their game even when they're not in the spotlight. Just about everything hangs on a joke or surprise, and how the actors acclimatize to them, and every performer proves up to the challenge, with most exhibiting genuine versatility. Only Shaun Blaney feels rather short changed, his character being little more than a toy boy and a toy for female affections.
The comic bitterness in All Through The House is pleasingly smoothed over in an uplifting and equally comic conclusion that makes one grateful for the unifying power of Christmas, music and family ties – a fitting end for this mildly unorthodox tribute to the holiday season.
Simon Fahalla
All Through The House played at the Crescent Arts Centre, presented by Tinderbox Theatre
