Customer Reviews

Dolly West's Kitchen: A Play (Faber plays)

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I read this play because my daughter was considering auditioning for a production of it. It reads well and could play better. The time is World War II, and the setting is Donegal near the border with Northern Ireland. Ireland's neutrality during the war is an interesting topic; hatred and resentment of the British tipped over into German sympathy for some Irish, while others recognized that the old animosity should be put aside for the greater good. British soldiers visiting across the border were forbidden from wearing uniforms, but it was understood that Britain would not hesitate to violate Irish sovereignty if necessary. That's the backdrop, but the play really concerns the shifting relationships of two sisters, their mother, their young maid, and the men in their lives: brother, husband, lover, and visiting Yanks stationed across the border. The style of language is heightened realism, and with the right cast, it could be compelling and entertaining. The main flaw for me was the role of the gay American soldier. I don't doubt for a minute that gay men served in the military during World War II, but I find it implausible that this guy could be as openly flaming as he is in this play, and that another soldier--and an Irish Catholic family, however unconventional--would be as tolerant and accepting. If you like reading plays, I recommend this as an interesting read, and if it's being performed near you by a good company, I'd recommend seeing it, but it does require more than the usual suspension of disbelief.