The way the weather's going at the moment, the title of part two of Billy Roche's Wexford trilogy could allude to any one of us, but instead we're safely transported to a dry and homely betting shop in a small town not too far from Dublin. What evolves is a parochial drama of lost loves and opportunities as the six characters choose whether to reassess or ignore the misfortunes that have kept them together.
Of those who decide to disturb the dreary status quo, Molly, the shop's cleaner, is the most vehement, and she is afforded all the bitchy looks and gestures of a seething resentment by Rebecca Egan. Dumped in the past by a local hard man, Danger Doyle, Molly does her utmost to resist sentiment when he returns to the town to persuade his stepdaughter, Eileen, to visit her mother. Instead, Molly attacks those who, like her, have been stuck in the town all their lives.
Two betting-shop stalwarts, Joe and Georgie, are among those who suffer her tongue. Eamon Maguire is good as the naive, middle-aged Joe, who has never had much luck with women, or indeed much luck at all; but he plods on, hiding his insecurities behind a cloying wit and a stack of embellished memories. His bemused sidekick, Young Georgie (Hugh O'Conor), is hopelessly in love with Eileen, but equally inept when it comes to doing anything about it.
Both cling to the notion that "a man without a home town is nothing". As the characters stand round telling each other self-validating tales of their spurious achievements, Wilson Milam's production soon feels a little static. Although Geoff Rose's set happily renders the bookie's interior of TV screens and form sheets, there are no scene changes, and the characters rarely develop or engage.
Eileen is an unremarkable character, while her father, Steven, played by Michael O'Hagan, is taciturn throughout, and his recalcitrance forestalls many potentially dramatic episodes. What's more, O'Hagan became quieter and quieter during his only monologue. Michael McElhatton fares better as Danger Doyle, whose constant brooding at least adds a little tension.
Unlike the other two plays in the trilogy, A Handful of Stars and Belfry, Poor Beast struggles to stand up on its own. It's a modest tale and although it has its moments, there are, alas, too few of them.
Tonight and next Saturday. Box office: 01244-340392. Then tours to Salford and London.
