Roddy Doyle, the well-loved Irish novelist, author of “Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha” and “The Commitments,” for example. At the moment, he’s touring his new theatre play, “Two Pints,” which is currently playing at Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre. This will be the first-ever UK run of the production. Doyle, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of the film version of “The Commitments,” plunges into deeper waters with this effort. He just recently released his documentary on men and ageing Friend Request, which charts how men of a certain age express themselves emotionally when sitting down to drinks together.
“Two Pints” returns to the theme of pubs as male gathering places—a familiar Doyle trope that goes back many years. Though not an actual Dublin pub, the venue recreates the mood of casual male companionship. Doyle is clear that the play is not meant to be a pro-drinking celebration. Rather, it seeks to present an honest reflection of real life.
Doyle has argued that his portrayal of drinking has been quite rich. “They’re imbibing, but they’re not drinking to get drunk,” he says to convey more meaningful relationships between characters. He’s very fond of the traditional British pub and likes to hang out in them. He goes to pains to assure us that he’s not downplaying the dangers of alcohol abuse.
The realism and immediacy of gesture that is present in Doyle’s dialogue-driven style creates room for unadulterated portrayals of working-class expectancy. He hears a strange cadence to this speech that he observes only among working-class Dubliners. He explains, “I try to make sure that it sounds authentically like what those characters would say in real life. It’s an important part of how working-class Dublin people—and so many Irish people—speak today.
As “Two Pints” wraps its run in Coventry, Doyle is hoping to connect with audiences outside of Ireland. He hopes that stories of collective memory and shared challenges can transcend boundaries. “Groups of young people coming together to express themselves musically is a universal story, isn’t it?” he reflects.
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