“Ginger Man’s” Troubles

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29856, 23 June 1962, Page 3

“Ginger Man’s” Troubles

What They Did in Dublin With The Ginger Man. By J. P. Donleavy. Mac Gibbon and Kee. 156 pp. It is a matter of common knowledge that censorship regulations in the Republic of Eire are strict even to the point of being incomprehensible at times. Printed books are subject to severe scrutiny, and newspapers and periodicals are often received there in a mutilated form. Mr J. P. Donleavy’s play, “The Ginger Man,” is set in Dublin, and it could hardly be denied that it gives a very unfavourable impression of that section of the city that is described. The publishers state in the dust jacket of the book that the playwright, after service during the war in the United States Navy, studied at Trinity College, Dublin. The two male characters in "The Ginger Man" have both had some connexion with Trinity, although they could hardly be said to take their studies very seriously. In fact, Mr Donleavy appears to be doing here for the ancient foundation of Trinity College what James Joyce, in his day. did for the Royal University of Ireland. of , which he was a graduate, “The Ginger Man” has just so much in common with “The Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man." The play was successful in London; the next step was to transfer it to Dublin. It played for three nights at the Gaiety Theatre there; and then, as

the playwright puts it. there was “a black hand tightening over the world"; it was taken off. The remarkable thing is that it was even shown at all. Apparently Mr Donleavy was not aware of the special censorship that obtains in Eire. Either that was so. or he was deliberately looking for trouble. Probably the latter is the truth. At all events he has written a 40-page introduction, "What They Did In Dublin.” to give his version of the affair. It need hardly be added that not all readers of this will range themselves on Mr Donleavy's side. As for “The Ginger Man” itself, it would be arresting, if John Osborne had not already extracted whatever there was of value in this particular vein.