Forever Plaid as presented by Muse Productions

Muse Productions 

Forever Plaid 

Saturday 14th September 2024 

PUBLIC REVIEW 

A café, in an industrial estate in Shannon, Co. Clare, was the venue for Muse Productions’ Irish premiere of ‘Forever Plaid’. It’s always refreshing to see something new and in an ‘alternative’ venue too. But I have to admit to feeling a little apprehensive at the prospect of seeing a cast of only four actors, with a band consisting of only keyboard and bass guitar, perform for 90+ minutes with no interval. In a café. In an industrial estate. I smiled an ironic little grin as I entered the Hope Café, HOPING that what lay ahead would manage to keep the attention of myself and the small, sold-out audience; every one of whom must have fancied their odds in the raffle. I needn’t have worried. Not one little bit. 

Front of house was most efficient, and it wasn’t long before we were all seated looking at four covered microphones on a very small stage. The minimalist set consisted of two flats, two nicely framed ‘Forever Plaid’ logos, a wooden, barnlike back wall, a few stools and…eh…that was kind of it. The band, all two of them, were tucked away on-stage right, with the keyboard player in full view and the shy bassist partially visible behind one of the aforementioned flats. 

First, some context for those unlucky enough not to have seen this production. ‘Forever Plaid’ introduces us to a 1950’s Pennsylvania-based, vocal quartet (The Plaids) who, we soon learn, have been wiped out in a terrible traffic accident, on their way to their first professional gig. Slammed by a bus full of Catholic schoolgirls en route to see The Beatles’ first performance on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964, The Plaids have been given a second chance. A chance to return to earth 60 years later to perform the gig that eluded them when they met their tragic demise. And that’s where we find them. We are the audience for this, their one-off performance. Their opportunity to see what might have been. “The biggest comeback since Lazarus!” What unfolds over the course of the next hour and a half is delightfully entertaining, often hilarious and, at times, unexpectedly poignant. 

Director, Martin McNelis knew the gig. He pitched this charming, revue-style show pretty much perfectly, eliciting superb performances from his four cast members and leaving no stone unturned as he squeezed every last comic nuance from this exceptionally talented quartet. Sometimes, there can be a small detail at the top of a show that makes you sit up and think “this is going to be a good one!” For me, that moment came right at the start as Smudge, Jinx, Sparky and Frankie removed the dust covers from their microphones and slowly folded them with deft precision and in perfect sync. It set the perfect tone for the evening’s entertainment and was a fitting overture to what would continue to be a very cleverly directed show, peppered with so many comic highlights and a fair dollop of nostalgia to boot. Audience participation and interaction was a key element to the comedy of the show. Even the AIMS President got in on the act, as did the delightful Rose who unexpectedly joined the guys on piano for an impromptu jam. How delighted Rose was to receive her plaid patterned dental floss and her personalised certificate. 

Gary Loughnane’s choreography was not your usual musical theatre fare. There wasn’t a jazz hand or a ‘kick, ball, change’ in sight. But what we did see was in perfect keeping with 1950s, doo-wop style, precise moves. A very high level of collaboration with Mr. McNelis was evident in Mr. Loughnane’s work. There were brilliant comic touches built into the choreography. Going wrong on purpose is a very difficult thing to pull off convincingly. However, throughout this show, we had exactly that from our four talented, barbershop terpsichoreans; their perfectly synchronised moves being purposely thrown out of kilter by someone false starting on a box step or going right when the other three had gone left, or having to discreetly switch a microphone from right hand to left hand, mid-routine, in the hope that nobody had noticed. These ‘mistakes’ were cleverly incorporated into the moves and were the source of much hilarity throughout. What was so utterly clever about the execution was the subtlety of these deliberate errors and how we second guessed ourselves at times as to whether or not it was intended before seeing an equally deliberate, awkward attempt to fix said error. 

Musical direction was in the hands of Shannon Hegarty. Ms. Hegarty also made up one half of the band. And, as strange as it may sound, this two-piece combo of piano and bass was more than adequate to bring the myriad musical numbers to life. Of course, their excellent musicianship was always apparent as they navigated through the many musical highlights, from the upbeat ‘Crazy ‘Bout Ya Baby’, to the Caribbean medley to the emotionally charged and uplifting finale ‘Love is a Many Splendored Thing’. The sparseness of the band also allowed us to relish the delicious four-part harmonies which were simply breathtaking at times. 

Cliodhna McNelis, as chorus mistress, must have taken great personal pride in the well deserved standing ovation at the end of this show. Yes, she had four extremely talented young gentlemen to work with but those superbly sung, intricate, tight harmonies required a huge amount of hard work, drilling, guidance and, I’m sure, an infinite amount of patience before they were unleashed upon an audience. The Plaids’ local newspaper critic cuttingly declared “This group’s sound is to contemporary music as Formica is to marble”. I am so happy to report that nothing could be further from the truth! 

It is almost impossible to discuss performances individually for this show as it was the cast’s collective excellence which stood out from beginning to end. Each of the four got to showcase themselves for their own star turn yet all four blended perfectly in performing this charming, ensemble piece. I think that one of the best compliments I can pay them is that, at different points in the show, each of them stood out as my favourite. 

Conor McNelis as the bespectacled Smudge had exceptional comic timing and gave us a wonderful version of ‘Sixteen Tons’ whilst accompanying himself admirably on spoon and ketchup bottle. His geeky, nerdy persona was completely incongruent with his resonant, bass tones. His vocal depth was totally unexpected but, like so many unexpected elements of the show, took the audience by surprise in the best way possible. A superb performance all round. 

Ethan Cassley gave a stunning performance as the timid Jinx, prone to nosebleeds when hitting the higher notes. The sight of a pitiful Mr. Cassley trying to bravely continue his performance with tissue-stuffed nostrils, had me howling with laughter. He too was a wonderful, natural comedian and this contrasted beautifully with his melancholic realisation that he would never have the opportunity to tell someone that he loved them. Mr. Cassley’s ‘Cry’ was a vocal highlight of the evening for me. 

Colm Hogan played the hilarious Sparky and his towering stature was utilised to great comic effect throughout. His subtle raising of his mic stand early in the show, told us all we needed to know about his magnificent comic timing and the hilarity which was to ensue. He sang brilliantly in ‘Perfidia’ and his comic subtlety in trying to discreetly read the words written on his hand was a joy. However, Mr. Hogan’s ultimate showcase arguably came as he mimicked a seal with a ball on its nose. Yes folks, it was that kind of show! 

Cillian Fahy as a sincere Frankie (real name Francis!) was an equally strong comic actor. He was a great conduit between the audience and the guys and revelled in blasting the fourth wall into oblivion. He had a gloriously warm tenor voice and really came into his own during his uplifting but poignant monologue at the end of the show, as he tried to convince his fellow Plaids to sing the finale ‘Love is a Many Splendored Thing’. This, of course, was the song they had been rehearsing in their convertible when that busload of pesky Catholic schoolgirls blasted them into the obituaries. And when we heard that final number, we were swept along on the crest of a heavenly, harmonic wave as our endearing quartet prepared to leave the stage for the very last time, having fulfilled their collective dream. It was one of those ‘in the feels’ moments. 

Stage management was in the hands of Brian Dowling and Ted Germaine. Whilst there wasn’t anything for them to do in the way of set changes, I’m sure that they were kept busy having a multitude of props ready for the Plaids offstage left. 

Many props were in what you might call a rather outlandish category. From the giant plungers used as mics, to Sparky’s melodica, to the coloured lights that unexpectedly made their way into the audience and back on stage again in a moment of utter mayhem, to Smudge’s ketchup percussion, you just never knew what weird and interesting item was going to appear next. There was great attention to detail too, with actual Decca 45s, brilliantly designed, mocked up album covers and, later in the show, more authentic album covers. 

Lighting was basic but effective, utilising a small, compact rig. But there didn’t need to be any bells and whistles for this performance-driven piece, and everything was well lit throughout.

Sound, although deceptively simple on the surface, must have taken some time to perfect. Four wireless handheld mics were used for most of the show. However, some of the show was unamplified. I have to admit that I was unsure about this aspect when it was announced before the show, but it worked perfectly in the intimate surroundings of the Hope Café.

Balance between the band and vocals was always very good. What was most impressive though was the excellent balance between the four vocals. This was maintained even as lead vocals swapped between the four; something which would have taken quite some time in tech rehearsal to bed in. 

Hair and makeup requirements were quite minimal apart from some obligatory hair grease. Costumes were excellent, from the classy white tuxedo jackets, plaid bow ties and matching cummerbunds of the opening scene to the iconic, long-awaited, plaid tuxedo jackets presented by a very competent delivery lady, living her best cameo life. The novelty sombreros were a humorous addition, adding nicely to the fun. 

I can’t finish this review without mentioning the brilliant but utterly bonkers Ed Sullivan Show sequence, during which our crazy crooners hysterically performed a range of novelty acts at breakneck speed. They threw themselves into their roles as juggler, flamenco dancer, plate spinner, trick shooter, dog trainer and Mr. Hogan’s sublime ball-balancing seal. 

This was a great production, superbly directed and brilliantly performed. I laughed, I had a speck of dust in my eye which needed wiping, and I laughed some more. A thoroughly entertaining night from four exceptionally talented young men, guided by a very strong production team, all of whom certainly gave Lazarus a run for his money!

Pat McElwain 

Gilbert Adjudicator 2024/2025

Photos by Darragh Carroll