DUBLIN THEATRE FESTIVAL 2026: Review: MEREDITH, Gate Theatre

Watching Erica Murray’s Meredith feels less like viewing a scripted drama and more like stepping unannounced into a living room where events are unfolding in real time. It is an extraordinary, laugh-out-loud evening of theatre that sits comfortably in that razor-thin space between "oh, honey" and "I could absolutely see that happening." Highly recognizable, modern, and punchy, the play tackles difficult subjects surrounding control, family trauma, and independence without ever dipping into oppressive weight or unearned sentimentality.

At 83, recovering from surgery in her home's sunroom, Meredith (Dearbhla Molloy) is determined to live entirely on her own terms. She is enjoying romance, entertaining company, and fiercely resisting attempts by her daughter Noelle (Fiona Bell) to dictate how she spends her time and money. In my own family, our unwritten rule is effectively that my 97-year-old grandfather can state whatever he wishes and no one will argue with him. Murray captures that exact lively refusal to surrender personal agency, using it as a springboard into a hilarious, sharp examination of boundary lines across generations.

The production thrives on its immediate, present-tense family conflicts. Meredith’s desire for romance and personal freedom comes into direct collision with Noelle’s frantic need to protect her. At the same time, Noelle is managing her own past emotional wounds and fears for her son Lorcan (Cal O'Driscoll). Add live-in carer Abi (Tishé Fatunbi) and neighbor Terry (Niall Buggy) into the mix, and the house quickly becomes a pressure cooker of overlapping panic and self-justification.

Tom Piper’s set design is gorgeous, anchoring the domestic world in a brightly colored sunroom (or orangery, a running debate that lands with exact family specificity). Annabelle Comyn’s direction keeps the pace swift and fluid, allowing the script’s sharp observational humor to balance its heavier, long-buried grievances without missing a beat.

The acting across the board is remarkably naturalistic. Dearbhla Molloy commands the space with breathtaking flare; she barely needs to move to hold the entire room, radiating quiet confidence at the center of the domestic storm. Fiona Bell brings immense humanity to Noelle, making her anxious controlling impulses understandable even when she is difficult. Tishé Fatunbi shines brilliantly as Abi, capturing the agonizing, hilarious awkwardness of a carer standing quietly by while explosive family drama erupts around her.

While the story reaches its conclusion with a suddenness that leaves you briefly wondering what might happen next, the sheer quality of the performances and the warmth of the writing ensure the evening flies by. Meredith is a funny, deeply perceptive triumph that hits all the right emotional notes.

 

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