‘Once A Catholic’

Press, 9 February 1984, Page 8

‘Once A Catholic’

“Once A Catholic,” by Mary O’Malley, directed by Doug Clarke for the Riccarton Players, at the Mill Theatre, Wise Street. February 8 to 18. Running time: 8 p.m. to 10.50 p.m. Reviewed by Gerrit Bahlman.

One of the pleasures of attending amateur productions is the casual choice of relatively large cast plays. The constraints of Community Theatre economics do not dictate in the choice of play and consequently relatively unknown gems can be discovered. “Once A Catholic” employs 19 characters, 10 of whom are called Mary, five are Mothers, and there is, of course, a Father. The play is a satirical look at Catholicism of the 1950 s seen through the eyes of three secondary schoolgirls attending a convent school in London. The experienced irreverence of the authoress results in delightful dialogue which is both funny and real. The didactic inculcation by the nuns is intense and hilarious for the variety of reaction it elicits from the girls. School-prescribed knickers called “passion killers” by the girls and a predominating concern for the avoidance of sins of the flesh result in general hilarity, * *The language used by the] gifls out of class is ripe and

some will find it overly so, but the ludicrousness of the rationalisations presented make up for much which is unpolished.

The three principal girls are played by Ondine Claridge, Chris Stachurski, and Alison Jones. Ondine Claridge’s character is the original innocent, asking embarrassing questions such as “What is the sin of sodomy?” and “How do all those sperm get into the uterus?” Needless to say her troublesome nature makes her desire to be a nun quite incongruous to Mother Thomas Aquinas.

Mary McGinty (Chris Stachurski) in comparison has ail the potential to be a right little scrubber but is quick to insist on her desire to bring up young Catholic progency when confronted by her Protestant boyfried (Lee Hallman). He on the other hand is prepared to have one or two but draws the line at a football team. Mary Flanagan (Cathy Scully) is the crafty young miss who appears to be the goody-goody while her partners get blamed. She has a Catholic boyfriend (Brian Lacey) who takes great delight in introducing her to the more unsavoury habits of the Popes gone by. The tyranny of the nuns is developed well by the con-

trasting portrayals. Judy Collins as Mother Peter provides the soft-spoken intensity which is balanced by the gruff intolerance of Mother Basil (Leslie Hawkins).

Mother Thomas Aquinas (Shirley Urlwin) was drawn with deliberate and aged authority which suited the role as Mother Superior very well. Patrick Paynter as Father Mullarkey gave a confident and experienced performance which developed the distinction between the didactic protector of young Catholic purity with the relaxed concern with the “after hours.”

Lee Hallman’s Derek, McGinty’s boyfriend, caught the assertive, chauvinistic rocker well.

The cast worked together with ease and as the technical hitches and pauses disappear the show will see further development. The two main faults with the production are its length and a faltering of pace in the second half.

I was also surprised to see a scuffle between a nun and a girl with a diary conducted in silence. The judicious pruning of scenes such as the description of the Fatima miracle would do mfch to keep audience interest up.