The draw for many seeing The Playboy of the Western World will be the chance to see Misfit star Robert Sheehan perform on stage.

And he doesn’t disappoint. Sheehan plays lead Christie Mahon in J M Synge’s dark Irish comedy about a strange lad who shows up in a County Mayo village, seemingly on the run. His claim, that he’s killed his father, quickly wins him bizarre levels of respect from the bored villagers, enchanted with tales of another part of the world and “a daring deed.” Christie, a loser all his life, suddenly finds himself greeted as a hero, fighting off the attentions of various girls and given grudging respect by the men of the village.

But this Mayo village is topsy-turvy place, and when Christie’s father shows up, very much alive despite the large gash in his head, the villagers turn on their “Playboy” with brutal tragicomic consequences.

John Crowley’s production at the Old Vic is a lively one, which really milks the comic potential behind the reversal-of-fortune storytelling, and lets the wonderful, lyrical language shine.

Sheehan makes a great Christie: gorgeous, of course, but he really convinces as the shambolic shuffling nobody (reminding me, at times, of Paolo Nutini) who grows in confidence, then overreaching pride, and then vanity, with every compliment.

Niamh Cusack and Ruth Negga provide great support as the two rival women playing for Christie’s affections. The wily Widow Quin (Cusack) provides some nice comic moments; Negga’s Pegeen is superbly sexy, with a really nasty streak.

But you can’t help but pity Pegeen in the final moments of the play, when the sassiest member of this strange little community cries, plaintively, “I’ve lost him!” Negga fills the line with emotion, calling out for all the losses of the play: loss of respect for family, for human life, for truth; loss of persepective; the loss of hope. It’s perfectly pitched, and a powerful moment.

Be warned: some of the incredibly broad Irish vernacular is difficult to understand, and sitting towards the back, I did “lose” some of the lines from quieter members of the cast.

But if you relax your ears and let it wash over you, confident in Synge’s strange but strong storytelling, the brutal black comedy, and the witty characterisations, you’ll have a fun night.

The Playboy of the Western World plays at the Old Vic until 26 November. Book tickets here.

Second, a note for any Shakespeare fans out there. Theatre company Antic Disposition is planning to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the first performance of The Tempest in London this August. And they’re staging it at London’s Middle Temple Hall, an Elizabethan venue where Shakespeare’s own company once performed. What a treat.

The Royal Court has announced two extensions this week. Both current hit Chicken Soup With Barley, and forthcoming black comedy The Village Bike, have added dates to their runs.

Now to this week’s casting news:

• Robert Sheehan from E4′s Misfits will make his stage debut at the Old Vic in September, playing the lead in JM Synge’s The Playboy Of The Western World. He’ll be performing opposite Ruth Negga and Old Vic regular Niamh Cusack.
• Hustle star Marc Warren returns to the London stage at the Aldwych Theatre in October, playing iconic prisoner Cool Hand Luke in a stage adaptation of Donn Pearce’s classic novel.
• West End stars Oliver Tompsett (previously Fiyero in Wicked), Amy Pemberton (formerly in Footloose and Jersey Boys) and Simon Lipkin (best known as Nicky and Trekkie Monster in Avenue Q) are all signed up to play in new London rock musical, Rock of Ages at the Shaftesbury Theatre.
• Ellen Greene from Pushing Daisies is to play identical triplets (the Enchantress, the Princess and the Nymph Queen) in fantasy musical Betwixt! at the Trafalgar Studios in July.

See you at West End Live!