The pen is mightier

Harshly reviewed in these pages for his production of Death of a Salesman, Joe Dowling takes on the critics with a review of Fintan O'Toole's collection of theatre criticism

Arnold Wesker famously described theatre criticism as "personal opinion magnified by print". Those of us who have been on the stinging end of those highly subjective opinions use that maxim to comfort ourselves that, no matter how cruel and personal the criticism, it is only one person's prejudice. She clearly knows nothing about theatre, we decide. He should be covering greyhound races or the ploughing competitions and leave theatre to more discerning observers, we fume. We also revel in stories of critics being attacked by enraged authors or directors. While we would never stoop to such tactics ourselves, we make heroes of anyone brave enough to throw wine in the face of our tormentors, as David Leveaux, a distinguished British director, did recently at a post show party on Broadway when faced with unjust attacks from a New York Post columnist.

The war between the critics and theatre folk can be properly described as a just war. There is need for tension between the participants and the observers if theatre is to continue to have a relevance to a wider public. While theatre folk won't often admit it, much of the work done around the world is truly awful and liable to drive audiences away in droves. The newspaper critic has a responsibility to his or her reader, who generally gets to know the prejudices of a particular critic and can distinguish between a sour review and a genuinely informative response to a work. With the increasing cost of an evening at the theatre, audiences need some advice before they decide whether a particular show is worth the investment of time and money. It is an added bonus if the writer is informed and can place the show in a wider literary and social context.

In Ireland, we have not been blessed with a superfluity of incisive and informed critics through the years. In recent times, the situation seems to have deteriorated significantly and, with some exceptions, one is never sure whose opinion is being magnified or what criterion is brought to bear on the criticism. With such carelessness on the part of editors and newspapers, it is easy for theatre people to dismiss criticism as irrelevant and pointless.

No one can dismiss Fintan O'Toole's opinions or deny his relevance to the development of Irish theatre in the past quarter century.

O'Toole's prejudices and passions become very clear through his reviews and the commentaries that are included in this anthology. Clearly "the well made play" steeped in the naturalistic tradition finds little favour with him. Indeed, he can be scornful of plays he describes as "filled with ineffectual shopkeepers, spinster daughters who pass up their one chance of marriage because their mammies won't let them and contrived happy endings in which the spurned beau reappears to offer a second chance… plays where, in moments of crisis, someone always puts the kettle on" .

On the other hand, he can be effusive about writers, directors and actors whose work explores deeper dimensions of their own psychology and of their place in a broader society. He admires those who take risks in pursuit of a great theatrical experience. He is very clear about his attitude to theatre when he writes:

"I am prejudiced in favour of theatre that uses the fact that we have eyes as well as ears, that we respond to movements as well as words and that words and movements can be used either to contradict or complement each other. I am prejudiced against theatre that is static and one-dimensional."

Writers like Tom Murphy, Tom McIntyre, actors like Donal McCann and Tom Hickey, companies like Druid and Footsbarn all meet his approval in numerous reviews because of their capacity to engage the audience in a relationship between physicality and language.

Fintan O'Toole continues to be one of the most important figures in the Irish theatre. This volume is an invaluable addition to recent theatrical history.

Joe Dowling is the Artistic Director of the Guthrie Theatre, Minneapolis, and recently directed Death of a Salesman for the Dublin Theatre Festival (see Village, 2 October 2004).

Fintan O'Toole's Critical Moments: Fintan O'Toole on Modern Irish Theatre is published by Carysfort Press.