Star-studded revival of Juno and the Paycock is a bit of a mixed bag – review
We weren’t too sure what to expect from Sean O’Casey’s Juno and the Paycock, although given it’s billed as “the Irish masterpiece” and has arrived in London’s glittering West End with a big name cast, we had fairly high expectations.
So does it live up to them? First of all – a bit about the play itself. It is now a hundred years old: set in Dublin during 1922, it tells the story of the fight for Irish independence through a selection of working class lives.
It’s an interesting premise for a play, and with Mark Rylance (who won an Olivier for Jerusalem) and J Smith-Cameron (adored by many as girl boss Gerri from Succession) in the leading roles, it seems like a recipe for success.
Throw renowned director Matthew Warchus and wonderful producer Sonia Freedman into the mix – what could go wrong? Well, something doesn’t quite feel right here – there’s a lot going on and it doesn’t gel particularly coherently.
