The Birthday of the Infanta

Bewley's lunchtime, til Sat 8 May

The short stories of Oscar Wilde are written as if for children – fairy tales, if you like – but at their core is a clear recognition of the harshness of reality. The Birthday of the Infanta, from the collection A House of Pomegranates, is one such bittersweet tale that throws together two very different experiences of childhood. It is, as the title suggests, the 12th birthday of the King of Spain’s daughter (a spoilt lonely child whose father spends most of his time pining for his dead wife) and various exotic treats have been organized for her entertainment, but the one that pleases her most is the outlandish dancing of a young dwarf who has been plucked from the forest by the King’s huntsmen. Impulsively she throws him a rose, and he becomes convinced that she loves him – until he catches sight for the first time of his own grotesque reflection. Adapted and directed by Bairbre Ni Chaoimh, this is an endearing if undemanding piece of theatre, the cast of three playing multiple roles, but each bringing something special to their main characters - Jill Murphy as the self-centred Infanta; Natalie Radmall Quirke as her exasperated lady-in-waiting; and Oscar Hernandez Rodriguez as the open-hearted dwarf. www.bewleyscafetheatre.com