STAGE REVIEW : Duffin’s Compelling Toast to an Irish Rebel

Irish-born actor Shay Duffin walked on stage Wednesday night at the La Paloma Theater with a full pint of Guiness in hand. When his one-man show--”Brendan Behan: Confessions of an Irish Rebel”--came to an end two hours later, he stumbled off the stage a broken man, having drained and spilled a half-dozen bottles of the stout brew.

“Confessions” is a compelling toast to the memory of Brendan Behan, celebrated Irish Republican Army activist, playwright, novelist and pub wit. Between drinks, Duffin pays tribute to Behan’s writings and social commentaries in a taut, flowing piece of theater. The play succeeds wonderfully in capturing Behan’s legendary manner, even as it addresses the tragic nature of the playwright’s existence.

Behan died at age 41 from cirrhosis of the liver. In his lifetime, Behan spent considerable time behind bars as well as in bars, and in “Confessions,” Duffin presents the visceral reality of both institutions. Duffin has considerable insight into Behan’s manner, having known the playwright and been born in Dublin, as the program notes say, “not far from the birthplace of Behan himself.”

Duffin wrote and adapted “Confessions” about 15 years ago, and he has been performing the show ever since. Duffin’s performance, presented by the Actors Theatre of Nantucket in Massachusetts, is still fresh and showcases his virtuoso talent in a series of loosely connected vignettes.

Thankfully, “Confessions” neither condemns nor canonizes Behan; instead, Duffin seeks to, and succeeds in, showcasing Behan’s intriguing lust for life.

“The Irish aren’t my audience,” Behan says toward the beginning of the show, “they’re my raw material.” If such is the case, Duffin puts Behan’s subject matter to good use, constructing a theatrical environment full of Irish folk wisdom and singing. Duffin delivers excerpts from Behan’s writings with confidence and authority, chronicling his life just as he details a good bit about Irish pub culture.

“Singing and talking is mighty thirsty work,” Behan says just before intermission, taking a pull of Guiness as he finished one of his several Irish folk songs. Looking at his glass of “mother’s milk,” he quipped: “Have you ever noticed how much a pint of Guiness looks like a Catholic priest?”

Duffin delivers many such comments with so much ease and grace that, at times, one forgets that he is an actor portraying someone else. The line separating actor and character blurs throughout the production, a testament to Duffin’s considerable technique.

Late in “Confessions,” in a segment entitled “Bells of Hell,” Duffin stops the show with his portrayal of Behan near the end of his life. Knowing that he has less than six months to live, Duffin depicts Behan as a pitiful alcoholic, a man continuing to drink himself into a stupor despite the approaching specter of death.

Here, in particular, Duffin blurs the line between actor and character. He chokes on his beer, he appears to forget what he was going to say, he spills his drink. As Duffin spilled and slurred, a silence filled the theater. Indeed, the audience seemed grateful after the play when actor Duffin, clearly alive, clearly sober, returned to the stage for applause, proving he was simply performing.

But such performing. Duffin utilizes various caricatures to tell his story, most of which are hilarious. Duffin’s stiff, cartoon-like version of the British police sergeant who arrested him stands out among his many impressions. Others include an ignorant bookstore clerk who mispronounces everything (including the title of James Joyce’s “Ulysses”-- blasphemy!) and an aged Catholic priest who excommunicated Behan while he served time in a British prison.

The La Paloma Theater, an old, well-kept theatrical space in Encinitas, proved to be somewhat inappropriate for this production. The high-ceilinged, 450-seat venue seemed much too big for the intimate play, and the small opening night audience of about 2 dozen people made the venue feel even bigger.

“Confessions” would be better suited for a smaller space--an Irish pub perhaps--seeing as Duffin encouraged the audience to join him in singing some of the Irish folk tunes. In the large, proscenium theatrical space, audience members were reluctant to participate in the stage production.

Richard Cary’s sparse lighting design served the production well, illuminating Duffin serviceably while staying out of his way. So did the minimal, uncredited scenic design. Aside from Duffin’s mighty presence, the only objects on stage were a bar and bar stool, a makeshift prison cell and a lectern. The dearth of stage devices placed the focus on Duffin, just what this performance-rich production deserves.

“BRENDAN BEHAN: CONFESSIONS OF AN IRISH REBEL,”

With Shay Duffin. Presented by Actors Theatre of Nantucket at the La Paloma Theater, 471 1st St., Encinitas. Performances Wednesdays through Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 7 p.m. through March 17. $14-16. 436-5774.