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Michael Cox reviews the Royal Lyceum's 'worthy' production of the American classic.One has to wonder what would have happened had playwright Eugene O’Neill’s wife followed his posthumous instructions. O’Neill requested that Long Day’s Journey into Night, considered by many to be his greatest play, not be shown the light of day until 25 years after his death. The play, a thinly disguised autobiographic depiction of a family, cuts to the bone as it chronicles the disintegration of a mother, father and two grown sons, brought down by alcoholism, addiction, stinginess and illness.
Luckily for the world, O’Neill’s widow thought the play too good to keep out of sight and within a few years of his death allowed it to be performed. It soon became a world phenomenon, blowing away international audiences and critics alike.
It received its UK premier at the Royal Lyceum more than 55 years ago, so there’s something rather nice in seeing director Tony Cownie’s worthy production of the play in that same space. And while this new production might have an aura of nostalgia, it still works its magic, with a creeping sense of foreboding as a day unfolds and habits and lies continually irk.
All of which makes O’Neill’s play all the better. Most writers would spend the bulk of a story slowly spooling information. Here, all is revealed within 20 minutes; the tension isn’t about what’s happening but in how it’s going to unfold. It’s a smart play that is vicious and heart-breaking in equal measures—when done right. Clocking in at nearly three hours, modern audiences might feel they themselves have to endure if a production doesn’t crack it perfectly.
Which might be the best thing about Cownie’s production—the time passes fast enough, and it is never boring. Nicola Roy’s maid, a character most productions pay little heed to, has some delicious moments to shine. However, the play is about the Tyrone family unit, and it is here that Cownie is well served: all four actors are terrific, turning in fully-fleshed performances that are consistently interesting to watch. Though each performer creates an engaging character, the real joy is in seeing each person perform against another: the ensemble work here is nothing short of excellent.
And yet, as good as cast, direction and design are, something is just a little bit…off: pace. Every argument, debate and fight is played well, but no moment is played to full throttle. Punches are pulled, and while opportunity is granted no actor ever goes for a full knock out. The scenes that play with a bubbly subtext work best, but even these feel a bit too safe.
Which is a shame, because while this production is really close to being great, it just doesn’t quite make it. The production is indeed worth a journey to the theatre, but what could have been an electric, nail-biting family tragedy instead feels too reserved; as the patriarch keeps repeating, the production is ‘within reason’.
Runs at the Lyceum until February 8
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