Mercury – The New Theatre – Review

Written by James Ireland – Jul 25th – Aug 6th @ 7.30pm

We meet Era and Oscar at Jane’s memorial. She disappeared a number of years ago and they are still finding it hard to accept she is gone. Oscar and Era were there the night she disappeared but they have no idea what happened. They struggled with recriminations for a time but now have accepted their loss. This is the mysterious tale of the events leading up to that night.

This story is told in reverse chronological order, with each new scene happening before the last. We get to see some of the facts about the night Jane disappeared but much is left unclear. We also get an insight into the relationship between the two girls and the changes that occurred when Era’s new boyfriend Oscar arrives into the mix. The sporadic nature of the jumps in the timeline make it a complex story to follow, with the viewer left struggling to piece together the events.

The stage is covered in leaves, with a table and chairs and some other odds and ends scattered around. Much is left to the imagination of the viewer, as there are a large number of different locations. We move from coffee shops to rivers and beyond. The name of each new location is projected onto the back wall of the set to keep the audience up to speed.

The cast are all in their mid 20s and deal well with the fast paced dialogue between the characters. There are a number of subplots that are hinted at, but are never fully developed. This leaves you unsure of what the playwright is trying to say. The narrative style is reminiscent of Memento, among others and it does add another layer of complexity to the mix.

This is a new play by James Ireland. His work has previously been produced in the New Theatre and as part of the Tiger Dublin Fringe. There is a nice touch of magic in the air in this production, and we’re never quite sure of the exact nature of the disappearance. Those that want to believe that something extraordinary happened will certainly be able to argue their case in the pub afterwards. The production is quite complex with puppets and other unexpected devices. It is an ambitious piece for a young theatre company to attempt and for the most part they achieve what they set out to do.