Writer: Jack Harte. Performer: Gerard Lee. Running time: 15.11 mins.
“No more hope after tonight. New regulations. The pub has to close.”
The pub has closed, and one gets the feeling that for our narrator this is far more disruptive to his life than the pandemic working its way around the globe. Many people feel the same. It was a sad day when Temple Bar effectively closed but for many it was the small local pubs shutting their doors that have had the biggest impact. Although out narrator is not here to ponder the economic and social ramifications of a long-term lockdown. No. Instead he is thinking about his story.
With a slight weariness tinged with frustration he begins to talk to us. Sat in a corner at home, crossword in hand, scotch glass beside him (although from the looks of it, not full to the brim with the finest whisky but something cheaper and weaker), he tells the story about his pub and the people he meets there. There are a group of men who share a table. Collectively known as ‘the club’, they know each other not by name but by their tag: ‘the teacher’, ‘the writer’, ‘the young lad’, and perhaps most importantly ‘himself’. ‘Himself’ is erratic in his attendance but he is the most anticipated. He is a raconteur who can keep the club laughing with his musings. Then one night he walks in holding a strange piece of equipment and with a thesis in his head. Whether he knew that this was going to trigger a series of events that would gradually build and build in comedy is doubtful, but that is what happened.
With the absence of the pub table we become the narrator’s audience, leaning in to catch every detail and waiting for the next turn in the tale. This was a good way of approaching the production as it draws the audience in and treats them almost as though they are a part of the club. Although in a theatre the laughter would roll and gather, carrying the narrative forward, The Pleasureometer still works in this format, raising a laugh and creating a sense of familiarity. Harte plotted out the key points well to ensure that The Pleasureometer would be as in place in the local pub as one screen. Professionally delivered by Gerard Lee who carries the characters slight air of grumpiness and his stifled mirth and glee that carrying this story inside of him has given. The story within a story and the creation of their own audience are excellent dramatic tricks that work well in this format.
By the end of the 15 minutes you will know what the Pleasureometer is (aside from an excellent title) and can decide how much pleasure it is going to give today.
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