A Silent Scandal shakes an Irish-Catholic boys' school in the 1970s. If you are thinking Tea and Sympathy or Children's Hour, you might be on point.
A Silent Scandal features new staff member, Ms. Turley. She is a “single” mother of one of the younger students, Tommy. She feels that her son needs to be nurtured and protected. To this end, she approaches Tommy’s teacher, Mr. O’Toole, who responds with the accepted social concept of boys being allowed to find their own way. His method is known and supported by the school’s headmaster, Brennan, the staff and all of the students.
Another student seems to be the current victim, accused of the elusive "it". Ms. Turley decides to champion this boy even though this boy's issue is not clearly tied to her son. She threatens to expose the behaviour of the headmaster and the school. The headmaster counters by threatening not to renew Turley’s teaching contract and taking her son away. Teacher O’Toole begrudgingly supports the headmaster. Bullying is prevalent. The causes may vary, but it is a familiar and popular plot trigger.
From the beginning of The Silent Scandal, the “it” is unclear, both implicitly and explicitly. What exactly is “it”? How was “it” discovered? How is “it” manifested. This leaves the audience to “suppose” the issue is homosexuality. The sole indicator, the word “fairy”, is used only once, late in the play, more as an expletive than an explanation or accusation.
The never clearly specified "it" is only one problem with the script. Turley’s son is used as 1) a step to introducing the featured student in the beginning, the focus of the bulling, and he is used again 2) in the end as a threat against Ms. Turley. Added is the fact that Ms. Turley is 3) a single mother, but we don’t know why; is she widowed or unwed? There are some slights about her which leave the audience to guess that she is unwed.
The description in their media for A Silent Scandal does not accredit this as an actual event, but that would explain why the author introduces the son and related the other issues. The play would be sharper and tighter without these last three plot elements, especially as they don’t have anything to do with the issue of “it” and the other boy. They fog the true plot.
Director and dramaturg Sally Hennessy does the best she can in this postage-sized oven. We feel for actors: Eoghan Quinn as Headmaster Brennan, Senna O’Hara as Ms. Turley and Ben Carolan as O’Toole, who do admirably well. The production seems to be sold out in an extremely small, tight and hot venue with large electric fans that mute some of the dialogue.
We hope the playwright, Meade Conway, will continue to work on this play and give us a clear, focused plot and something that is not Tea and Sympathy or Children’s Hour.