DUBLIN THEATRE FESTIVAL 2026: Review: LET ME IN, Smock Alley Theatre

There is a profound difference between being welcomed in principle and actually belonging. In Esosa Ighodaro’s Let Me In, premiering as part of the Dublin Theatre Festival at Smock Alley Theatre, that precise gap is laid bare with sharp observational wit, genuine romantic warmth, and an unsettling, creeping sense of tension.

Centred on Lola (Ebby O'Toole-Acheampong), a Nigerian-Irish firefighter, and her partner Seán, the play opens within the domestic comfort of their Dublin home. What begins as affectionate banter and an overdue birthday meal rapidly shifts when Seán blurts out an unexpected marriage proposal. The hesitation that follows is not a simple question of romance. For Lola, navigating Seán’s proposal brings her daily reality into the room: her physical exhaustion, the friction of cultural expectations, the weight of direct provision arson attacks nearby, and the subtle, relentless toll of living as a Black woman in contemporary Ireland.

As a foreigner living in Ireland who has navigated friendships, romantic relationships, and social circles with Irish partners and friends, the friction on stage felt painfully familiar. I have seen Seán’s exact pattern play out time and again. Seán’s recognisably Irish tendency to avoid difficult conversations, hoping everything will simply work out, collides directly with Lola’s need for him to grasp what she lives with every day. Ireland’s famed "hospitality" often feels deeply welcoming on the surface, yet it frequently fails to comprehend what those of us from elsewhere are constantly dealing with. Even a simple, seemingly innocent question like "where are you really from?" becomes an exhausting exercise in self-justification. Seán's failure to understand is far more compelling than a standard theatrical antagonist because he is endearing and frustrating in equal measure, leaving Lola to constantly carry the burden of explaining her own existence.

Ebby O'Toole-Acheampong delivers a grounded, exceptional lead performance. She carries the physical fatigue of a frontline worker who cannot afford to lower her guard, even off the clock. When Lola recounts an incident on the job, saving someone from a burning building only to watch them recoil from her skin, the line lands like a kick in the stomach. It works because the production earns the moment naturally rather than delivering its themes as a lecture.

Supported by a strong ensemble, including Justine Doswell, Naoise Dunbar, Darragh Feehely, Alexandra Conlon, and Yemi Adenuga, the play balances humour, romantic friction, and systemic threat without flattening any of them. Visually anchored by a wall built across the space throughout the show, Let Me In leaves you contemplating what it truly means to call a place home when full belonging can still be quietly withheld.

 

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