Writer: CN Smith
Director: Dominic O’Brien
Writer and director duo Dominic O’Brien and CN Smith bring Dead In Here to the Smock Alley Theatre, in a production that has some enjoyable moments.
A group of college friends travel out to a stately home somewhere in the Irish countryside during Covid, in an attempt to avoid the pandemic. Drinking, singing, debauchery and infidelity fill their days until a sinister discovery upends their holiday and throws their hedonistic escape into chaos. Dead In Here is a contemporary reimagining of Boccaccio’s classic The Decameron.
The cast is made up of two couples. English host Millie (Allie O’Neill) and ex Roisín (Blathín Ward) try to mend their fractured relationship as the play progresses. Georgia (Lora Hartin) attempts to make peace between Millie and her somewhat abrasive boyfriend Brian (Samuel Coyle), who first introduces himself as DJ Brown Sauce, possibly a reference to John Crowley’s Intermission.
The narrator is played by a different actor each night. Although an interesting creative choice, reminiscent of White Rabbit Red Rabbit, the decision, and indeed the character, seem superfluous. Regardless, Sodiq Ajibola Abiola plays his role well. It is hard to tell if the acting is any good in Dead In Here, as long periods of the play involve improv sessions between the characters, all donning dreadful Texan accents. Similarly, there are far, far too many extended karaoke scenes that, like the improv, quickly become uninteresting.
Anika Kidd’s set feels genuine, transforming the stage into a stately home. Eimear Hussey’s costume design seems likewise authentic. Lighting and sound, spearheaded by Jess Fitzsimons Kane and Daniel Montague O’Brien, are both good.
A major flaw generally is the lack of clear arc; there is no discernible storyline, and little changes. The quite hammy opening plot goes nowhere. The long, long ghost story(ies) do little to engage the audience. Until nearly two thirds of the way through Dead In Here, nothing happens. Bizarre and uninteresting segues between the characters, conversations that seem unending, the play feels more like the deleted chapters of a Sally Rooney novel than The Decameron. Somewhere nearing the halfway point, Dead In Here becomes a whodunit, as if the writer has also noticed that nothing has happened thus far.
Going over by ten minutes means by the time the finale comes around, the audience just wants to use the bathroom. 100 minutes is too long to not have an interval.
Dead In Here needs more work, it could be an excellent play after a few more drafts. Giovanni Theatre’s sophomore play is currently confused, disjointed, and largely uninteresting.
Runs Until 12 Sep 2026.
