The Pigeon in the Taj Mahal
Irish Repertory Theatre presents a new dark comedy about a recluse in rural Ireland whose life is disrupted by a stranded stranger.
In the west of Ireland, a lonely outsider is forced to live on an abandoned campsite on the barren outskirts of a seaside town. Late one night, when a lost bachelorette party discovers his caravan, he finds his whole existence challenged and his home life threatened. During this long night of reckoning, among the glitter and the grime, a battle for survival ensues. But in these few hours can tender love save us all?
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- 1 hour and 30 minutes
- Already closed
- The Irish Repertory Theatre / W. Scott McLucas Studio Theatre (Chelsea)
Cast & Creatives (11)
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Reviews (36)
9 Critics' Reviews
"The intimate space is perfect for this oddly charming little play...With a typically Irish handle of language and its comic potential, Sexton draws laughs by contrasting Pigeon's time-warped existence with the trashy excess of Lolly and her ilk...As Pigeon, Keating gives the heftiest performance, fully inhabiting a specific rhythm that feels very real in its strict artifice...Director Alan Cox commits to the tonal contrast of the script in staging and design." Full Review
"There’s a lot of dialogue and plenty of depredation, but having put these characters together, Ms. Sexton and the director Alan Cox don’t know quite what to do with them. Despite a persistent theme of innocence and experience, 'The Pigeon in the Taj Mahal' mostly feels like a one-act that outgrew itself. A little less conversation wouldn’t hurt. But action concerns Ms. Sexton far less than providing a vigorous, sometimes vulgar showcase for herself and the other actors." Full Review
"The play's early scenes constitute a bruising acting challenge and John Keating handles it like a master...The playwright, Laoisa Sexton, has a gift for creating harrowingly vivid characters, but she overloads them with tics...Sexton simply fails to make a case for why we should be interested...Alan Cox's direction maintains a good pace, but he can't make the lines funny, nor can he do much about the many holes in the plot." Full Review
"'The Pigeon in the Taj Mahal' is true to form with its cast. What's unexpected is that director Cox has mounted this play with drop-dead production values...'Taj Mahal' will be enjoyed by anyone who appreciates something wild and wooly...Cox has elicited powerful performances from his actors...There are times when the activities in 'Taj Mahal' are excessively over the top. You may also miss bits of the fast-paced authentically Irish dialogue. But most of the 90 minutes fly by." Full Review
"Director Alan Cox utilizes the small space with creativity. Relationships are visually as well as verbally illuminated...What occurs offstage is well communicated. Reining in Ms. Sexton would’ve helped the piece. John Keating never disappoints...As Lolly, playwright Laoisa Sexton too often seems too forced. It’s difficult to discern how much of this is due to overwriting...The play needs editing, but most of all, we need to care. And don’t." Full Review
"An intriguing play…The playwright has contrived Lolly’s and Aunty Rosie’s partying with Eddie to reveal their characters, and that’s the meat of the action…Sexton and Watkins convey this raucous forced fun with authenticity…The set design, staging, and music cohere to make ‘The Pigeon in The Taj Mahal’ an entertaining theatrical evening." Full Review
"A fecund 90 minutes of beautiful melancholia…I found the text to be fresh and absorbing…Sexton has drawn characters that are heartbreaking and beautiful in all of their frailty. Sexton is a striking presence on stage, entirely captivating…John Keating as Eddie is magnificent…Director Alan Cox has sculpted a tight, well-oiled work…He has elicited great performances from the cast and created an unforgettable dark, interesting gem…It’s a truly wonderful experience." Full Review
"Things hilariously go over the top…It is John Keating’s show. He imparts almost a saintliness to the character of Pigeon…Playwright Sexton has performed a service in writing a play that offers high—or low—comedy on the one hand, and at the same time hints at a more serious matter." Full Review
"Rush to see 'Pigeon' for its uniquely Irish verbal gymnastics; this convoluted and arcane wordplay makes it worth catching...The words spoken by this odd quartet reveals more than just offbeat slangy patter; it presents both a lost inner world and the isolated world of Ireland’s West Country lifers…Without stating any profundity here—especially because not much really happens—Sexton’s clever text and Alan Cox’s tight direction keeps the shambling conversation going." Full Review
27 Members' Reviews
See it if you enjoy a show with a unique combination of quirky characters, who are both humorous as well as touching.
Don't see it if you prefer lavish shows in big theaters as opposed to an intimate setting and heartfelt performances.
See it if quirky sometime silly humor and some serious thinking
Don't see it if you do not like to be challenged.. (Beware: 16 steep steps & limited loos)
Also Score is a compromise between my 70 and partner's 85.
See it if you enjoy stories of rural Irish life with quirky characters and a bit of Irish superstitions thrown in. The interaction between 2 strangers
Don't see it if you don't enjoy Irish plays with crazy off the wall characters who meet and challenge each other with their being
See it if you are very patient. It's slow. Nothing really makes sense.
Don't see it if Want to see a show that is well written. It's not. It's slow and never makes any cohesive statement.
Also When a play starts off with a twenty minute monologue, you are often i... Read more Read less
See it if you can enjoy a comedy involving a character who doesn't always understand what's being said, and repeats a lot about Elvis.
Don't see it if somewhat over-the-top is not your thing.
See it if Quirky well acted Irish drama but unable to sustain consistant tone Odd love story tries to emerge with clear McDonagh influence helping
Don't see it if Tends to veer wildly between the supernatural & overwraught Often feels overwritten Impressive work from leads but to no avail
See it if You enjoy quirky, off-beat performances and character actors. It needs work, but there are some great moments.
Don't see it if You do not want to see someone star in a black box show he or she wrote. Some of the writing and acting is painfully self-indulgent.
See it if Sexy leading lady creates perfect showcase. Two great comedic perfs. Ace support by second and third bananas. A daffy, zany play. Slainte!
Don't see it if Basement is an inconvenient venue. Main stage show ruckus can get loud. Irish raise the roof on both floors. Theater in full holiday mode!
See it if Juxtapostion of wonderful characters leads to unexpected twists, humorous scenes, and personal growth.
Don't see it if You don't like dark humor, profanity, and sexual content.
See it if You want to meet outlandish cast of characters with actor John Keating at the helm giving a great performance?
Don't see it if If you don't want to enter this zany world populated by characters who embody the best and worst of man and woman.
See it if you like really quirky characters who sometimes say and do anything without reason. The set, although small, is quite good.
Don't see it if you find irish brogue difficult to understand, if you do not like f..k said alot, if you don't like outlandish characters.
See it if You like a contrast of innocence and depravity. Lots of slapsticky raunchy humor and some pathos.
Don't see it if You don't like bad language, Irish dialogue with extreme accents, almost being in the action.
See it if You like raunchy shows set in Ireland about infidelity, mentally challenged people, drugs,domestic violence
Don't see it if You don't want to see a barely dressed bride to be,her crude aunt,drinking,drugs,violent dark comedy with a lot of cursing and a blow up dol
See it if You like working class stories, you relate to messy & redemption - You want to see new Irish themes & tone
Don't see it if You are offended by rough language or irritated by street dialect, you are looking for a nostalgic Irish play
See it if You liked the play "Heisenberg"
Don't see it if If mysticism and uncertainty is not your thing
Also I was one of the few to give it a standing ovation at the end
See it if You love theatre for snappy dialogue; well-drawn, yet quirky, characters; and unlikely settings of kindness and connection.
Don't see it if You are claustrophobic, prudish, or otherwise disinclined to find meaning in fairy tales.
See it if you like quirky characters
Don't see it if you have trouble understanding an Irish accent.
See it if For the great set, staging & acting. Clash between crass Gen Xers and a sweet, simpleton wore thin quick. Main character's quirks got boring
Don't see it if Ur not amused by working class people being superficial, ignorant, drunk, volatile & vulgar.Stereotypes not redeemed by a few tender moments
See it if Not only offensive but poorly written and acted with dialogue composed of fuck every other word. Had to sit through a mess .
Don't see it if I certainly wouldn't recommend this play under any circumstance!
See it if you like dark comedies set in Ireland, pleasant Irish raunchiness,fan of John Keating who gives a great performance, crazy sense of humor
Don't see it if wayward contemporary Irish comedies are not your thing, nor simplistic raunchy humor, quirky characters are not your thing
See it if you like an exploration of different personalities in a small trailer with a lot of tension
Don't see it if you worry about the weak sweet spirited innocents out there
See it if Things get fun in the last 45 minutes when the 3rd and 4th characters arrive (drag makeup, fun music, dancing, blow-up doll)...
Don't see it if ...but the first hour is slow and quite boring with the 1st 2 characters talking endlessly, and needs a good 30 minutes of cuts.
See it if you're related to a member of the cast.
Don't see it if you want to see something good.
See it if you enjoy character driven situational hilarity. The performances are delightful. Repeated references to Elvis make a fabulous running joke
Don't see it if heavy accents and localized vocabulary distract you. There are occasional words that you won't know but the situations are always clear.
See it if Modern fairy tale with brilliant script and masterful acting has the audience in stitches from the beginning.
Don't see it if Thick Irish accents and colloquialisms put you off.