A Marathon of a play at the Belltable

‘YOU run the first half of a marathon with your legs, the second half with your mind’ is a mantra intoned by athletes preparing for the 26.2-mile ordeal. But how do you prepare two actors to run on the spot for almost an hour while they simultaneously deliver their lines to the audience?

That’s the challenge facing Niall Cleary, who directs Colin Teevan’s adaptation of the play Marathon, which continues its run at the Belltable, Limerick until Saturday night.
“None of us had ever done anything like this before so the rehearsal was something of an unknown quantity,” explains the director of the Hurricane Theatre Company’s production.
“Part of the rehearsal involved physical running. We’d rehearse in a room and then go out for a run. The running brings its own rhythm to the script. But we had to be careful about the rehearsal. We had to negotiate and the actors had to keep me posted on how their bodies were reacting. You couldn’t do a regular eight-hour rehearsal.”
The physical demands of the play affect not just rehearsals but also scheduling tour dates. Last May, for its Irish premiere, the cast performed the play in Dublin over a two-week run. “We did five consecutive nights; we nearly lost an actor,” jokes Niall.
While researching previous productions, he found that actors frequently pulled out of performances due to injury.
“The impact of running on the spot is worse than jogging because there’s no forward movement. It’s very repetitive and is very hard on the body – especially on the calves and ankles. The play probably isn’t that widely performed for that reason.”   
Marathon is the story of two friends, Steve and Mark, training for the New York City Marathon. Funny and sad, it deals with friendship, masculinity and the business of living. The play was written by Italian playwright, Eduardo Erba in 1993 and has been translated into 14 languages. This production uses a script adapted by Dubliner Colin Teevan.
Steve (played by Matthew Ralli) and Mark (played by Brian Hutton) are contrasting characters. Steve is single-minded and competitive; Mark is indifferent and unsure. “If they’re an odd couple, then Mark is the slouch,” suggests Niall.
The director is keen to emphasise that the play isn’t intended only for running or sporty types. It’s a human story where jogging is a glue that bonds the characters. “Obviously, it’s about two men training for a marathon,” says Niall. “But running is a metaphor for life.”
When he first read the play, a line about “the brittle male ego” jumped out. He thinks it goes to the heart of the relationship between Steve and Mark. “On the surface, the men have a great relationship; there’s a lot of banter between the characters. In many ways, it’s a typical male friendship. But when you dig deeper, the cracks start to appear. There’s a pride in not talking about your feelings. It’s about the unsaid. And when it comes out, it explodes.”
As well as the rhythm of the language, Niall was hooked by the way the play uses the characters’ relationship to examine the changing nature of friendship.
“We often reflect and ask ourselves [about our friends]: ‘How did we become friends in the first place? What the hell do we have in common?’ Well, you’ve got a shared history. You change but your friendship remains.”
To help establish his running credentials with the actors, Niall ran the New York City Marathon last November. He only started running long distances in 2009.
“Before that, I’d run like a lunatic for a few miles and get a big red head,” he laughs. “Something clicked when I realised that you don’t have to sprint, that you can keep on doing it.”
He describes running in New York as an “incredible, emotional experience”. Niall secured an entry because of the sponsorship he collected for Concern. “There were 45,000 runners and 2.5 million spectators. New York is an amazing city at the best of times but even more so when you’ve that crowd screaming you on.”
Marathon running is experiencing a rebirth. Last October, over 13,000 entrants participated in the Dublin Marathon – the highest number in its 31-year history. Niall believes the upsurge is related to economic conditions.
“People have more time on their hands. Gym membership might cost you €500 for a year and you don’t go. For running, a pair of runners will cost you €50 and that’s you. Running clears your head. Your money troubles seem less.”
It was while preparing for the New York event that Niall came across the script for Marathon. “I was in a bookshop in Belfast,” he explains. “I had started training for the marathon around the same time so it caught my eye. I read it on the bus and by the time I got to Dublin, I’d decided I wanted to direct it.”
Niall is a freelance director and occasional actor. He works closely with Galway Youth Theatre and has directed three of their productions for the Galway Arts Festival, including Citizenship in 2010. He lists Brian Friel, Tom Murphy, Arthur Miller and Neil LaBute among his favourite playwrights.
Before going to college, Niall says he had never even seen a play. But when he joined the university’s drama society, everything changed. Suddenly, he’d found his vocation.
After graduating, he joined Druid Theatre and became the company’s assistant stage manager. But his passion is directing.
“Stage management is very practical,” he says. “I’m drawn to the creative side of things. I didn’t set out to do this but, like they say, if you can get paid for what you love then you won’t ever have to work another day again.”
So what does Niall hope an audience will take from the play?
“I’d like them to enjoy the humour – it’s very funny in parts. The end, if it works, should leave the audience piecing the play together themselves. There’s a huge twist in the tale. I’d like to think they’ll look back over it thinking about the clues, realising that a lot more has happened than they thought.”

Brendan Daly is an Ennis journalism student.