Tom Moran is a Big Fat Filthy Disgusting Liar – Abbey Theatre (Peacock Stage) – Review
by Frank L.

30 April – 25 May 2024
Written by Tom Moran – Directed by Davey Kelleher

Moran is a young man who just turned thirty. He is clean-shaven, trim of body with an expressive face. He is dressed casually in an open shirt, blue jeans and runners.  He is a regular-looking sort of guy. His appearance is of a figure to whom it is easy to relate. He dominates the simple set which consists of a stool, a microphone and eleven small lights – simplicity itself.

He is from a family of five, with his father, mother and two brothers. With energy and wit, he delves into the dynamics of this social unit. He discusses his relationship with his taciturn father and later his mother, which is more revealing. His own dilemmas are ventilated. His desire “to stop lying, to trust who I was”.  His belief “that human beings only lie in the presence of shame”. Guilt and shame held him back but having identified the problem he shows how it manifested itself and how he addressed it.

Many of the anecdotes of his family life are commonplace but he tells them to great comic effect. They are familiar happenings which often populate our own childhoods. Like the reluctance to go to school one day and pulling “a sickie”. How often did one think it would be nice not to go to school. One’s mind is cast back to your own childhood however distant that may be. In his case, Tom tells how his “sickie” was believed and a course of action his lie set in motion. It is an adventure beautifully told and the audience was in the palm of his hand. He also deals with less familiar territory, such as his sessions with a therapist. These sessions included the parents and Moran managed to make them three-dimensional despite being unfamiliar to many.

Moran from “his rented box in Rathmines” has written a thoughtful and enquiring text. He speaks clearly and his body language helps to illustrate what he is saying.  At the beginning of the production, he asks the audience to put their hands up to answer a simple question. By this technique, each member of the audience is aware that his story is also applicable to their own lives.

This production shows the value of the Dublin Fringe from which this production has emerged triumphant. It is now deservedly on the Peacock stage of our National Theatre. Moran is a fine storyteller and his tales make you remember aspects of your own life, which were long forgotten. Moran has created a first-class theatrical experience.

• Tour Dates
  30 May at Linenhall Arts Centre, Castlebar
  31 May – 1 June at Swift Cultural Centre, Trim
  5 June at Hawk’s Well Theatre, Sligo
  6 June at Ramor Theatre, Virginia
  7 – 8 June at Droichead Arts Centre, Drogheda
  11 – 15 June at Lyric Theatre, Belfast
  18 – 19 June at VISUAL, Carlow
  20 June at Roscommon Arts Centre, Roscommon
  21 – 22 June at Mick Lally Theatre, Galway