On the windswept ferry terminal stage, Deirdre Kinahan's searing new play, 'The Homecoming of Joseph Grace', drops us into a world torn apart by war and exile. We're met with a poignant portrayal of an Irishman unmoored for half a century, his life a testament to the seismic upheavals that reshaped 20th-century Europe.
As Michael Glenn Murphy's Joseph grapples with memories of the Western Front, his brush with Roger Casement's Irish Brigade in 1915 Germany, and the heady chaos of Weimar Berlin, the production by Once Off Productions, directed by Louise Lowe, masterfully conjures a mood of quiet contemplation. The stark morning light on stage is a haunting backdrop for Joseph's tortured journey, as he struggles to reconcile his past and find belonging in a world that seems determined to keep him at arm's length.
Kinahan's meticulous research weaves a rich tapestry around the intricate loyalties faced by Irishmen serving in the British army during WWI – a complex narrative that shines brightly on stage. However, some elements, such as Joseph's time in Weimar Berlin and his association with the proto-fascist Freikorps, felt less convincing, even with Murphy's compelling performance.
Joseph is a survivor, always adapting, yet never quite finding his place – an accidental soldier, reluctant revolutionary, and ultimately, failed hero. His happiest years are recalled in 1950s London with his English lover, but their loss leaves him adrift, a perpetual outsider upon his return to Ireland.
The play's exploration of Joseph's eternal predicament as a permanent exile – belonging nowhere, hovering on the threshold – is a heart-wrenching narrative that recalls the 'lost souls' found in the works of Sebastian Barry and Samuel Beckett. It's a searing portrayal of grief, regret, and the enduring search for belonging in a life shattered by historical forces.