The Vulcan Hotel, Cardiff

Tues 20 Mar

words: CHELSEY GILLARD

★★★★★

Is it possible to live a fulfilled, spiritual life  sitting blind drunk on a bar stool? Based on three short stories by American writer Charles Bukowski, Barflies offers a poetic and sometimes magical look at the tragic lives of those at the bottom of the barrel.

For this stage adaptation, the setting has changed to Scotland, where heavy drinking seems to be part of everyday life. So much so that whole lives can be seen played out at the bar and with only one witness: the often silent bartender.

In the small  space of the legendary Vulcan pub, we are brought face to dishevelled face with Henry (Keith Flemming), who is possibly “the ugliest man in town”. He is certainly the drunkest. At his local he meets a string of women, all played incredibly by Charlene Boyd, each different and each damaged.  But none can fill the gap left by his first love Cas: “the most beautiful woman in town” who is determined to ruin her beauty with pins in her face and pints of wine.

Flemming is superb as the slobbering, slovenly drunk who has enough control and pose to deliver the beautiful poetry with sincerity and heart. Boyd slips easily from gentle realism to hilarious caricatures as she embodies each of the women fueling Henry’s downward spiral. David Paul Jones adds haunting melodies and perfectly delivererd one-liners as Silent Dave, the piano-playing barman who sees all.

Not just about the consequences of drink, this is a genuinely funny and thought-provoking piece that has obviously been lovingly adapted and directed by Ben Harrison. Becky Minto’s design: bar-taps with filthy names and chalkboard life philosophies perfectly complimented the action without overpowering it in such a small venue. It is very rare to find such a fully formed piece of site-specific, touring theatre, and it’s certainly not something you can forget in a hurry.

Carefully treading the line between bleak reality and pure fantasy, sometimes slipping into almost pornographic, Barflies won’t be for everyone. If you like your theatre with real bloody heart (and liver) straight from the butchers, Barflies cannot be more highly recommended. Just don’t wear your glad rags as this play is swimming in the alcoholic and you have just entered the splash zone.

Barflies continues at The Vulcan Hotel until 24 March. Info: 029 2064 6900 / www.shermancymru.co.uk