Dublin Theatre Festival: The End of Eddy – Project Arts Centre, Dublin
Writer: Edouard Louis
Adaptor: Pamela Carter
Director: Stewart Laing
“Today I will be a man.”
There has been a trend in recent months for plays that explore what it means to be a man and how to go about being so. The End of Eddy fits into this pattern and delves into the ideas of manhood and masculinity in unflinching detail. For the young Eddy, growing up “visibly gay” in a town that values hard labour, violence, and strength, he couldn’t have been more out of place. Based on the groundbreaking book En finir avec Eddy Bellegueule by Edouard Louis The End of Eddy is an innovative and powerful production.
His tale of sexual awakening is both intensely personal and also universal. Kwaku Mills and Alex Austin shine as Eddy. At times playing him simultaneously, at others taking it in turns. They also interact with themselves in character on four screens that line the stage; Austin playing Louis’s mother was a particular highlight. Both actors have an obvious love and appreciation for the source text that reverberates throughout their performance. Although well directed the production could have made more use of the entire stage and the bus shelter at the back was under utilised.
Pamela Carter’s adaptation draws heavily on the text while also creating something new. They take the unusual approach of introducing the play and at times Mills and Austin turn to the audience and step through the fourth wall to change the narrative. This was an interesting and novel approach that made the audience feel a part of the action. Some might feel that this broke up the narrative flow of the piece, however, it was done with such charm and an obvious love for Eddy that it felt natural. The play is at times comic, incredibly serious, and finally tinged with hope. One feels that Carter’s version is perhaps more optimistic than the original and this feeling spread through the audience bringing them to their feet at the end.
Image: Contributed
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