HATE F%#K – The New Theatre – Review
Dates: 9th April – 13th April

We meet Abagail on a typical day.  She is listening to the headboard of her housemate’s bed bang against the wall as they furiously have sex! She shares a house with three other people, none of whom she particularly likes.  Abagail works as a receptionist in a Dublin legal firm, but her dream is to be an actress. She studied drama in college and that is where her aspirations lie. We follow Abagail on the week-long drug and alcohol-fuelled bender leading up to an audition to play Medea. We see her unusual outlook on the world and her strange relationship with the men in her life.

This play is a two-hander with Leanne Bickerdike playing the fiery but damaged Abigail and Ruairi Nicholl playing several male characters, including Liam her housemate, Ian her soon-to-be married lover and Bill her coworker. The play is told from Abagail’s perspective and she talks directly to the audience at various times, giving hints of Fleabag. Leanne Bickerdike plays Abigail as a larger-than-life character, dominating the stage with bravado. Ruairi Nicholl plays several diverse characters, from self-centred and dangerous to well-meaning and gentle.

The play discusses sexual assault and rape in various forms and shows Abigail’s complex relationship with men. It is one of the more interesting aspects of the work as it explores consent in abusive relationships which is not clear or straightforward.

It is often said in writing that you need to give your audience one character that they genuinely like or identify with. While Agabail is intended as our hero in this work, she is a deeply flawed individual. It is difficult to warm to her or any of the other characters in the play. The male characters are used to explore different aspects of Abigal and only have a short time on stage.

The Writer of the piece, Jodie Doyle, is also listed as the designer and it is quite a stylish production. There is a table and two chairs on stage, but they are all covered in cellophane wrapping. There is a rail on either side of the stage with clothes for the different characters and scenes, as the actors never leave the stage. There are a number of mirrors at the back of the stage, where you can see members of the audience, as we look back at ourselves.

As you would expect from the title of this work, it is not for the faint of heart. It’s a complex work that highlights the widespread drug use in modern Ireland, along with issues of mental health and consent. While not everything on stage works, it is a very ambitious work that explores modern Ireland in a way many writers would shy away from.

Cast:
Abigail: Leanne Bickerdike
All Men: Ruairi Nicholl

Director: Ois O’Donoghue
Writer and Designer: Jodie Doyle
Lights and Stage Manager: Amy Dunne
Sound Design: Ultan Stanley
Photographer and VDA: Izzy Hamilton