The actor John Keating is usually a tall bag of bones with fright-wig hair and frightened-deer eyes, a look developed for character elements. That he nabs the direct role in Laoisa Sexton’s “The Pigeon during the Taj Mahal” with the Irish coc am dao gia Repertory Theater is reason adequate to see it, although the Participate in’s protracted execution wears out the prickly allure of its premise.
Mr. Keating performs the Pigeon with the title, a sweater-clad, Elvis-quoting naïfile who lives inside a trailer park in rural Eire. Is he lonesome tonight? Not exactly. But he’s clearly thrilled to find a young girl in smeared makeup and ripped tulle dumped on his doorstep. “You've the unusual elegance,” he claims to her unconscious variety. “Just like a swan inside of a dirty lake!” This can be Lolly (Ms. Sexton), a plastered bride-to-be overdosed on vodka and entire body glitter. On waking, she very first threatens Pigeon that has a hammer and afterwards softens at his odd hospitality.
The moment Lolly is more or less awake, Ms. Sexton has good enjoyment contrasting her shallow metropolis variations with Pigeon’s callow techniques. “D’you got iPhone, d’you are doing?” she whines. “I cellular phone?” the perplexed Pigeon asks. But as they continue to be from the trailer, the Participate in begins to spin its motionless wheels. There’s loads of dialogue and lots of depredation, Primarily as soon as A further bachelorette (Zoë Watkins) arrives, but acquiring place these figures with each other, Ms. Sexton as well as the director, Alan Cox, don’t know really what to do with them. Inspite of a persistent theme of innocence and expertise, and a few questions on the area of folklore in up to date Eire, “The Pigeon inside the Taj Mahal” mostly appears like a one particular-act that outgrew itself. A little less conversation wouldn’t damage.
But action fears Ms. Sexton far a lot less than providing a vigorous, sometimes vulgar showcase for herself and the opposite actors. A deft performer, she Obviously enjoys Lolly’s woozy, crude obliviousness, but she is equally as delighted to cede the phase to Mr. Keating. Pigeon isn’t a wholly credible character, but Mr. Keating lends him heat and a mild style of bravery, even while sporting lipstick along with a penis headband. Cheers to Ms. Sexton for permitting this unique actor unfold his wings.