From the moment Nuala McKeever bounds on stage we feel that we know this woman when we meet her. Life has not turned out the way Margaret dreamed. She is about to commit suicide when a moment happens that changes everything.
The key elements of a fine one-woman theatre piece depend on craft. Writing, performance, direction, and design depends on clarity and presence to create an entire world that the character inhabits. Nuala McKeever as the character of Margaret and the writer of this play, serves the illusion with precision and panache. She embodies multiple characters through subtle shifts in tone, rhythm, and pace, embodying them with precise physicality to highlight their different idiosyncrasies. Her portrayal of a young homeless boy who breaks into her home is co-ordinated and convincing. McKeever conveys the broken spirit of the youth, revealing his inner state of fragmentation through body language and gestures. The introduction of the character of the boy is a clever device and serves the execution of the plot; counterbalancing and contrasting with Margaret’s apparent ‘comfortable middle-class’ existence to highlight that both Margaret and the boy are living on the edge.
The direction of Andrea Montgomery ensures the clarity of storytelling through purposeful movement and strong transitions.
The script balances a serious subject matter with humour and gravity, delivered beautifully by McKeever, with her vulnerability masked by a ‘devil may care’ attitude to a disappointed life.
Lighting by Colm Maher touches the space with a soft hue that draws us into the intimate space of Margaret’s three-bedroom home.
All the elements of theatre combine in this production like well-tuned instruments, conducted by McKeever aided by the direction of Montgomery.
Runs Until 15th August 2026.
