Review: Cyprus Avenue by David Ireland, Glasgow Pavilion Theatre

Lisa in the theatre
Feb 28, 2024
3 min read

Updated: Jul 26

Cyprus Avenue ★★★★★

Cyprus Avenue by David Ireland

Directed by Andy Arnold

review: 27 February 2024 | The Pavilion Theatre, Glasgow

Cyprus Avenue is the darkest, most disquieting play I've seen performed live

Belfast loyalist Eric (David Hayman) is convinced that his five week old granddaughter is Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams come to infiltrate his family and overthrow his protestant way of life.

As absurd as that seems, Eric is steadfast in his belief, and neither his wife nor his daughter can convince him otherwise. As Eric meets with psychologist Bridget (Jamie Marie Leary) we learn more about his ideology and prejudices, and his fears for the future.

From the outset David Ireland's Cyprus Avenue is shocking. Shocking in the language used, shocking that the repercussions of 'The Troubles' continues to impact people's lives, and shockingly funny. The writing is superb; the dialogue authentic and profane.

Glasgow based Belfast born playwright David Ireland is perfectly placed to understand the sectarian divide and violence that has been commonplace in both cities in the past and that continues to simmer just beneath the surface of everyday life today. And so too in Cyprus Avenue an undercurrent of tension and disquiet runs just below the surface-level hilarity.

David Hayman in Cyprus Avenue by David Ireland. Photo: Mihaela Bodlovic

Superb writing, direction and performances

The ninety-minute, one act play flies by as we watch Eric spiral into madness. David Hayman is extraordinary as Eric, a man who is both a loving father and a staunch unionist. Hayman is onstage for most of the runtime and does a fine job with the complex book and Northern Irish accent. So understated and believable is his performance that I had no idea the play would end how it did.

The supporting cast are equally as strong: Ann Louise Ross (Bernie), Sinead Sharkey (Julie) and Jamie Marie Leary (Bridget) are the sane voices of reason battling against Eric's delusions; and James Boal is fantastic as local paramilitary maniac Slim.

Slim's arrival onstage genuinely unsettled me; his appearance is alarming. But then this character had some of the funniest dialogue and best deadpan delivery I've seen. It's this juxtaposition that makes Ireland's material so good and that so frequently catches the audience off guard.

Directed by Glasgow Tron Theatre’s former Artistic Director Andy Arnold, the action flows seamlessly from the doctors office to Eric's home and back again as Eric relives his past. There isn't a dull moment in the play, and I agree with the decision to run it straight through, without an interval. A break would've diluted the tension.

Cyprus Avenue is undoubtedly a black comedy; the audience were in fits of laughter... until they weren't. Stunned into silence by Eric's drastic actions, Cyprus Avenue is without doubt the darkest, most disquieting play I've ever seen on stage. I laughed, I was frightened, I was shocked. It's brilliant! ★★★★★

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Writer David Ireland said:

“Since it opened in Dublin in 2016, Cyprus Avenue has been performed all over the world - from Australia and Japan to Canada and Brazil. But I’m particularly delighted to see it return to the stage in my adopted home city of Glasgow. I hope audiences in Glasgow will be as shocked, outraged and entertained as the rest of the world has been. But I also expect they’ll understand the play and its central theme - the cost of sectarian violence - better than any audience outside of Northern Ireland.”