The Irish Repertory Theatre’s Producing Director, Ciarán O’Reilly, is cast as Charlie, who returns to Dublin upon the death of his adoptive father, and O’Reilly embodies the role in grand style. As he visits the home of the man who raised him, Charlie eases into conversations with Da, who emerges ghost-like from death throughout and is given a robust portrayal by Paul O’Brien in the spirited conversations the playwright has devised.

We also see the interplay between Da and his wife, who is colorfully acted by Fiana Toibin and who raised Charlie as her son. We see in memory how the boy Charlie looked up to his Da. At the other extreme, he becomes exasperated in the late years when Da, becoming senile, is confined to a hospital for care but insists he is in a poor house. O’Reilly is particularly good when exploring his younger self in contrast to his adulthood in his own confrontational moments.

In one of the memory sequences we see the humiliation of Da when, having worked as a gardener and assistant, he is let go by his boss, unfeelingly oblivious Mrs. Prynn (Kristin Griffith), with a farewell pittance. In another especially effective moment, we observe a battle between Da and his wife, as she asserts herself in the face of his control and vows to go to an event on her own. (Sadly, she ultimately backs down.) We also meet Charlie’s acquaintance Oliver, nicely played by John Keating, whose strikingly unusual face has always intrigued me in Irish Rep productions.

The play is rich in humor and irony. Charlie gave money to support the financially needy Da, only to find that he saved the money for Charlie as a bit of inheritance. In a post-funeral dialogue the ever-present Da explains to the surprised Charlie that he wanted to be sure he had something to leave him.