Synopsis of St. Nicholas by LIAM COLLIER
Brendan Coyle performs in the Donmar Warehouse production of “St. Nicholas” at the Goodman. Photo by Helen Maybanks.
Act 1
Rather than spend time with his family, the narrator Alone in an abandoned room, would pass his hours getting a nameless narrator reflects drunk with other journalists. on his childhood fear of He describes the pattern he vampires. He insists that “real” fell into: drinking each night, vampires are nothing like the waking up with a hangover, monsters he imagined in his reviewing “another amateur youth, though they are equally disaster,” and returning to terrifying. the bar. With the scene set, the narrator begins his story: The narrator explains that, “It was a girl that got me in before he met the vampires, he trouble.” was a widely respected theatre critic in Dublin, famous for his He first sees this woman, negative reviews. He had tried Helen, when he attends his hand at writing, but, unable an amateur production of to come up with ideas for a Salome, and upon seeing story, he made a career out of her dance, he falls for her criticizing the work of others. instantly. After the show, he A bitter alcoholic, the narrator quickly composes a mixed was unable to find anything review and follows Helen that made him truly happy, to a bar where the cast is except for his daughter, whom celebrating their opening he can’t bring himself to speak night. To curry favor with to. the crowd, the narrator lies
about his review, calling the production “one of the best shows [he’s] seen in years.” At the end of the night, he drives Helen home, where she kisses him goodnight and leaves him alone. Unable to garner any positive reviews in Dublin, the production of Salome moves to London for an abbreviated run. Without saying goodbye to his family, the narrator follows. Upon arriving in London, the narrator makes his way to the theatre, stopping at several pubs on the way. Drunkenly, he follows Helen to a home in the country where she is staying with her director and some fellow actresses. He tries to convince them that he has resigned from the paper 4
