Lamb’s Players Theatre once again brings together all the ingredients for an entertaining evening with Pulitzer Prize winning playwright John Patrick Stanley’s “Outside Mullingar,” featuring four stellar cast members that share a heartwarming and humorous tale that is shrouded in mystery.
Actor and Director Robert Smyth transports the audience to a small farm in Ireland where he plays Tony Reilly, a father, farm owner and crotchety old geezer whose one liners will make you laugh out loud and/or shake your head. Smyth’s wonderful Irish accent and witty back and forth banter with neighboring farmer Aoife Muldoon, played by his wife and fellow director Deborah Gilmour Smyth, does a magnificent job of drawing the audience into the storyline. Tony Reilly’s son Anthony and Aoife Muldoon’s daughter Rosemary are played by real-life married couple Brian Mackey and Rachael VanWormer. As their unexpected love story blooms, the chemistry between the real life married couple is part of the magic of this performance and leaves the audience filled with joy, contentment and an entertaining glimpse into the human condition.
Audiences are raving about the performance online, one patron said, “This is a don’t miss show! Sweet, funny and very touching story with gifted actors. Treat yourself!” Another online fan shared “Marvelous accents, character and emotions. Bravo!”
With a simple set and just four characters, “Outside Mullingar” masterfully brings an intricate tale of love, loss, rich family history and quirky human behavior to life. The 95 minute performance built up the story, culminating in a final scene that brought the entire audience to a standing ovation at the end of the show.
According to their website, “LAMB’S PLAYERS THEATRE is one of San Diego’s leading not-for-profit, professional performing arts organizations, presenting an exciting variety of work year-round in our resident theatre in Coronado. We also have an Educational Outreach program touring to schools across the county.
“Celebrating our 50th year, we are an artist led company, historically hiring more San Diego based actors than any other theatre. With our small full-time staff and large circle of associate artists, we employ a multi-talented team of actors, directors, designers and craftspeople annually.”
For more information or tickets, visit Lamb’s website.
