Lie Low – Abbey Theatre (Peacock Stage) – Review
17 – 29 July 2023

Written by Ciara Elizabeth Smyth
Directed by Oisín Kearney

Duration: 70 minutes

We meet Faye (Charlotte McCurry) in quite a difficult situation. She hasn’t slept in 20 days and she has no idea how to solve the problem. She has visited doctors and tried exercise, sleeping tablets, alcohol and a multitude of methods but she still has not found peace! The root cause of her problem is an incident that happened when she came home drunk one night from a party. She comes up with a unique solution; a type of exposure therapy, which involves her brother Naoise (Michael Patrick), a wardrobe and a duck mask!

This production was originally part of the Dublin Fringe Festival last year. It must be the month for the return of Fringe Productions, with Tom Moran is a Big Fat Filthy Disgusting Liar in the Project Arts Centre (and touring) earlier this month. Lie Low was one of the success stories of the Dublin Fringe Festival. Charlotte McCurry won the Best Performer Award, while writer Ciara Elizabeth Smyth was nominated for the Best New Writing Award. Ciara Elizabeth Smyth is a young writer who continues to garner plaudits. She previously wrote Sauce, All Honey and We Can’t Have Monkeys in the House, and her reputation is steadily growing.

This play was originally a two-hander, with Charlotte McCurry and Michael Patrick. Thomas Finnegan has now been added to the cast, playing Naoise/ Duckman for the dance sequences. These musical interludes are beautifully played out, adding an element of the absurd.

The undoubted star of the show is Charlotte McCurry, in a performance with boundless energy. She is manic at times as she stares wide-eyed at the audience. Michael Patrick’s performance is more subtle, as he is the straight man to Charlotte’s mania. Michael captures the duplicitous nature of his character, as the audience is inevitably asked to judge him. This work may be Ciara Elizabeth Smyth’s most complete to date. It keeps her eccentric/ madcap nature but builds upon it with other elements. While moments still seem quite far-fetched, there is an intensity and depth to the script that focuses the mind of the audience. It’s a smart and occasionally hilarious production that shows the anxiety and unease of a troubled mind.

Credits
Faye: Charlotte McCurry
Naoise: Michael Patrick
Duckman/Naoise: Thomas Finnegan
Voice over: Rory Nolan
Writer: Ciara Elizabeth Smyth
Director: Oisín Kearney
Set and Lighting Designer: Ciaran Bagnall
Sound Designer: Denis Clohessy
Movement Director and Intimacy Co-ordinator: Paula O’Reilly
Combat Director: Phillip Rafferty