Faith Healer

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Owen Roe in Faith Healer at the Gate.

Friel's masterpiece, written 30 years ago, with its powerful use of poetic and lyrical language loses none of its impact in the latest revival as the Gate Theatre celebrates the work of Ireland's foremost living playwright.

Audiences flocked to the Cavendish Row venue in 2006 to see Ralph Fiennes in the role of the eponymous faith healer, Frank Hardy to much acclaim. Owen Roe assumes the role here - and commands the stage with a great sense of purpose - and his final monologue espouses that familiar frailty of those who return to their home place - and that dreaded fear of rejection from the natives.

The piece takes the form of four successive monologues, as we hear Frank' story in addition to that of his wife Grace (Craigie) and manager Teddy (Durham) as they drift through small towns in Scotland And Wales before finally arriving back in Ireland where Frank hopes to recapture past glories.

Each account is different - yet what is clearly apparent is the burden that comes with realising a talent and not living up to heightened expectations. Friel puts great stress on this emotional burden and Roe's depiction of vulnerability is telling.

Equally effective is Craigie's portrayal of the women who give up a promising career in the legal profession for a life on the road - and her dilemma in truly assessing Frank's talent.

In the 2006 revival, Ian McDiarmid was a standout in the role of Teddy, and while Kim Durham's doesn't quite hit the same heights, he manages to engage, while downing glasses of beer, as he reminds us of his devotion to Frank and Grace and his belief that miracles can actually happen. Touching moments in an otherwise sardonic story.

Designer Paul O'Mahony opts for a somewhat drab look - so as to keep our attentions firmly focused on language and the multitude of expressions that emerge from the wary faces.

James McMahon