Fashioning raw theatre from primitive materials

Theatre: The Chronicles of Oggle. Everyman Theatre, Cork . Directed by Donal Gallagher. Runs nationwide until May 3 . (see asylumtheatre.com/ oggle-tour-2015). Rating: ****. Reviewed by Brendan Daly

Peter Gowen in The Chronicles of Oggle
Peter Gowen in The Chronicles of Oggle

At first glance, The Chronicles of Oggle seems to traverse wearily familiar terrain: a child’s brutal treatment at the hands of the Christian Brothers. Yet from such stark base metal, Peter Gowen distils pure gold. “Life is a dream sometimes,” insists Pakie, the endearing protagonist of Gowen’s hugely uplifting one-man show.

Now in middle age, Pakie is a man with a mild disability. The play recounts his life ...