Set in Limerick, Ireland in 1978, John Breen’s 2004 heartfelt rugby comedy Alone It StandsAlone is perhaps most distinctive for its bold choice of having six actors play 26 different roles. The sextet (five men and one woman) tackle, run, and leap on stage as both the Munster Rugby team and as the All Blacks, but they also play all the secondary characters– including but not limited to one player’s pregnant wife, a chorus of singers, group of teenage boys planning a bonfire, a teenage girl, the match spectators, two newborn babies, and even a dog named Sinbad. The actors make their swift transitions without the benefit of costume changes, often with several scenes happening on the stage at the same time. Indeed, one of the play’s funniest segments is an intense, noisy childbirth (“I have the head. All you have to do is push it down!”) alongside an intense, noisy scrum (“I have the ball. All I have to do is put it down!)– happening concurrently on stage and skillfully executed by the actors.
Alone It Stands takes great effort in reproducing some of the more well-known, exciting rugby moves–as much as it is possible, of course, on a small stage. The play also uses a lot of the sport’s lexicon– including all the players’ positions and the term “Garryowen” (That’s a high kick forward followed by a charge to the spot where the ball lands… Remember that term, because another meaning becomes important towards the end of the play!). That said, the show will be equally enjoyed by those who aren’t familiar with this exhilaratingly brutal sport. In addition to the comedy and action, there are also some moments of drama: One player deals with the loss of a family member, and another misses the birth of his twins, even after his wife specifically asked that he didn’t go to the game. Will she forgive him? We find out in the post-game endorphin rush in Act 2.