It’s the middle of the night in Belfast. Twentysomething Niall is deeply distressed and calls his sister, Brigid, in an attempt to stem his agony and slow his racing mind. Their conversation is surprisingly funny as Brigid, who keeps whispering to someone in bed beside her, attempts to placate her brother. The dialogue brims with affection, frustration, fear and sorrow, as well as an electric tension as we wait for Niall – clearly on the edge of doing something quite terrible – to make up his mind.
That’s just the opening scene of Eoin McAndrew’s vivid new play. The winner of the 2024 Verity Bargate award, it is quite hard to categorise but very easy to admire and enjoy. As Niall attempts to recover from his breakdown, the play initially verges on satire. A bewildered Brigid (Catherine Rees) is met with a barrage of absurd advice, as she tries to keep her brother – who has just set himself on fire – from further self-harm. Stashing the candles away, suggests McAndrew, probably isn’t going to fix this.
