REVIEWS

THEATER PREVIEW: McCourts' story told with a wink in 'Blaguards'

By JODY FEINBERG
The Patriot Ledger

Imagine if writers Frank and Malachy McCourt wandered into your home and spun their yarns. They'd transport you to their impoverished childhood in Limerick and their struggles as young immigrants to New York. And they'd make it funny.

That's the idea behind ''A Couple of Blaguards,'' which runs Feb. 2-6 at the Company Theatre in Norwell and stars Howard Platt as Malachy McCourt and Jarlath Conroy as Frank.

''It's basically storytelling that will give you a good laugh,'' said Platt, who also directs the play. ''It's a humorous glimpse into the McCourts' lives.''

Anyone who has read the memoirs, ''Angela's Ashes'' by Frank McCourt or ''A Monk Swimming'' by Malachy McCourt knows that these two Irish brothers are masterful storytellers.

In ''A Couple of Blaguards,'' the McCourts tell their favorite stories about life in Ireland and New York among among assorted rogues, fools and dreamers. The two-man comedy is spiced up with a little song and poetry and staged with only a table, two chairs and two pints of Guinness.

Platt and Conroy are the blaguards, an affectionate term for outgoing, rowdy, drinking boys. With a change of accent, they become more than a dozen characters - the pious, defeated mother, absentee alcoholic father, self-righteous priests, bumbling mayor, and gossiping neighbors.

''There are bits and pieces that appear in the books,'' said Platt, a friend of the McCourts since 1984. ''The difference is that the show was created to be comedic.''

Platt, who grew up in Chicago and now lives in Connecticut, has appeared in more than 100 plays and numerous television shows over a 35-year career. He is perhaps best known for his television roles as Hoppy the Cop on ''Sanford and Son'' and Dr. Phil Newman on ''The Bob Newhart Show.'' Among the other plays he has directed are ''Love Letters''and ''Steel Magnolias. Conroy, who has performed on Broadway and in regional theaters, plays the shopkeeper in the current film ''Kinsey'' starring Liam Neeson.

Last performed in Boston in 1999 at the Park Plaza Hotel, ''A Couple of Blaguards'' will tour for about a month following its opening at The Company Theatre.

A Couple of Blaguards
The Company Theatre, 30 Accord Park, Norwell. Feb. 2-6, with Howard Platt and Jarlath Conroy. $32. 781-871-2787, www.companytheatre.com.

Copyright 2005 The Patriot Ledger
Transmitted Saturday, January 22, 2005