Harbourfront’s World Stage/Druid Theatre – Enda Walsh’s The Walworth Farce

The opening production of Harbourfront World Stage is Enda Walsh’s astonishing The Walworth Farce which was commissioned by Druid Theatre based in Galway, Ireland.

It is one of those plays that is as outrageous as it is compelling. The material is fresh and the storyline is absolutely original. The acting is extraordinary, and Sabine Dargent’s grunge set has to be seen to be believed.

The play takes place in a council flat on the Walworth Road in London. We gather that Dinny and his two sons, Sean an Blake, are acting out the story of how they came to be in London. The flat is their personal theatre with the three men portraying all the different people who were involved in their leaving Ireland. It has become a daily ritual. In fact, this play-acting is the only thing they do.

This perverse symbiotic relationship is Walsh’s launch pad into hair-raising territory.

The Walworth Farce continues at the Fleck Dance Theatre until Oct. 10.