A social worker has shown up at Anne’s door trying to figure out what’s going on with her 5-year-old son, Max, who was seen with a large bruise on his ear. A power struggle begins. As Anne maintains that Max is being perfectly taken care of, Liam tries hard to silence his suspicions. But this isn’t the first time that Anne has been reported to the authorities, and he has a duty of care. Steps need to be taken in order to safeguard the child. But Anne isn’t willing to lose Max.
What starts as a polite family drama grows into a breathless psychological thriller in Oisín Kearney’s disturbing and shifty play. The plot twists and pivots with Kearney’s slender dialogue and snappy direction. His scenes burn slowly. The red flags make themselves known quickly, but only start to wave once we’ve disregarded them as red herrings. The situation spirals at a hypnotising pace. Kearney lets the energy in the conversations coil, leaving Anne’s hurt to fester before detonating her self-preservation in measured and realistic bursts. The stakes are high.
At one point, Kearney lulls us into a sense of narrative familiarity. Once we think we know where we’re going, he changes the trajectory again. And again. And again. By the end, we’ve been on an exhilarating rollercoaster and have no answers to show for it. He imbues the text with delicious dramatic pull, building it into an heady tension that makes us beg for more. We leave the theatre with more questions than we had when we entered it. And what a pleasure it is to do so!
Patrick McBrearty and Clodagh Mooney Duggan deliver exquisite performances too. They linger on the details in the script, leaning into the irresistible tonal rhythm of the language. Mooney Duggan is controlled and collected in her portrayal; she puts up a friendly smile when a scared look threatens her gaze. McBrearty grips her with stern, inflexible eye contact. They keep circling each other, feral, and as their dynamic evolves.
If you’re after an exciting piece of original writing that feels as addictive, intense, and gripping as the latest bingeable Netflix docu-thriller, this is the play for you. It’s a great watch, regardless of whether you want to enjoy it for the sake of the story or feel like diving in and analysing its more alarming societal implications.
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