The Year of the Hiker

1 of 1

Superb cast

This play, first produced in 1964, tells the peculiar story of a man nicknamed The Hiker (Morrissey) who returns home looking for forgiveness from the family he walked out on 20 years ago.

In the opening scene his son Simey (Monaghan) is being urged by no-nonsense aunt Freda (Walsh) to get ready for his sister's (Drummey) wedding.

Responsible, solid, big brother Joe (Lombard) cuts a sharp contrast to the jokey Simey - they could be father and son. The family's thoughts slip involuntarily back to the Hiker's absence, and his wife Kate (Mullin) laments that Joe should not have to be giving his sister away.

The Hiker walked out 20 years ago, without a murmur since, and nobody seems to know why he went after eight years of marriage. Or do they? Hardest hit was Kate who withered in lonliness and shame, and Joe, who recalls the tender patience his father had for him and his devastation at being abandoned by his idol.

Simon, who was only a baby when his dad left, got the chances Joe lost out on - education, the potential to marry. Yet he takes it all for granted and does not appreciate the sacrifices made. When The Hiker does eventually show up he sniffs out his selfishness and the weakness of his character straight away. Does he see traces of his earlier self in Simon?

The Hiker's departure rocked the family and it was not just the embarrassment and anger that left such a mark. Towards the end of the play the Hiker points out the close proximity of love and hate. The people who knew him - Freda, Kate and Joe - loved him once, so why did he leave?

The late Keane crafted his characters so well. This is a beautiful play, with the gags and humour failing to mask the sense of hurt and futile loss of lives not fully lived.

The themes of unreliable memory and the limitations of character feature. If only people could control how they acted - not let pride, shyness, cruel flippancy and jealousy muddle life up and store up future regrets.

The subtle lighting is atmospheric on the spacious set, with a fire lending a cosy glow. A very wide window symbolises the open life on the road and the family sacrificed on the other side of the glass.

This is the third Keane play that the Galway based Druid Theatre Company has produced. The award winning success of 'Sharon's Grave' in 2003 and 'Sive' in 2002 were hard acts to follow, and thankfully the talented Druid director Garry Hynes and an all-round superb cast score a hat trick with 'The Year of the Hiker'.

Mary McCarthy