Is it still a coup de théâtre if it happens before the show even starts? On a large
proscenium arch stage, a curtain of rain is a dramatic but familiar special effect,
but entering the Donmar Warehouse for Brian Friel’s
Faith Healer, the
audience is met with torrential rain on three sides of the thrust stage, falling
just a foot away from the front row. The effect returns a couple of times during the
evening to facilitate some quick changes to Es Devlin's set, as Friel's play is made
up of three connected monologues, giving complementary and conflicting versions of
the same events. First up is the titular faith healer himself, Frank (Stephen
Dillane,) an understated showman - the "faith" part of his profession is never
mentioned - who tours small villages in Wales and Scotland with his wife and tour
manager.
