In Eva O'Connor's intense new play for Fishamble Theatre Company, the concept of staying together for the sake of a child takes on a deeper meaning. Mo (Catriona Faint) and Réaltín (Lara McDonnell), both in their mid-20s, initially appear as bickering young parents, a "chosen family" attending a therapy session with the audience as the therapist. As their story rewinds to their comical first meeting as university students in Edinburgh, a portrait of an obsessive friendship emerges.
Exploring Compulsion and Friendship
Playwright and actor O'Connor has previously written about compulsion, and here she vividly conveys the confusing mix of love, dependency, admiration, and desire that can be poured into young women's friendships. Réaltín calls it "the wild magnet pull of us." Initially, the contrasts between the spiky, politicised Glaswegian Mo and the naive, middle-class Dubliner Réaltín cemented their bond, captured in Faint and McDonnell's committed performances.
Subtle Direction and Escalating Tension
Director Jim Culleton sensitively brings out, in tiny moments and gestures, that Réaltín may be oblivious to the differences in their feelings, the distinction between loving and being "in love." This hardly matters during their messy drinking and clubbing years, but post-college, when an emotionally lost Réaltín gets engaged to a wealthy Finnish man, the fallout is catastrophic. The play alternates between monologues for their competing memories, dance moves, and bluntly humorous dialogue. The leisurely exposition tightens around the events of a single night, with tension underscored by Denis Clohessy's sound design. At a party where sex, alcohol, and jealousy collide, the violent climax is all the more vivid for not being directly described.
Set Design and Impact
Set designer Alyson Cummins's simple raised platform rests on a layer of discarded bottles, books, and junk, as if allowing us to see the detritus swept under the carpet. O'Connor ensures that we cannot look away. The play runs at the Pavilion theatre, Dún Laoghaire, 22 to 26 July, and at the Traverse theatre, Edinburgh, 6 to 30 August. The Galway international arts festival continues until 26 July.
