The Lunch Punch Power Hour in Conference Room 4 – Abbey Theatre (Peacock Stage) – Review

A World Premiere Abbey Theatre production – The Lunch Punch Power Hour in Conference Room 4 – Written by Caitríona Daly

Jess (Emma Dargan-Reid) is stealing some quiet time, reading and eating lunch in Conference Room 4, when Clodagh (Caoimhe O’Malley) arrives. Clodagh has booked the conference room for a lunch hour meeting and quickly dismisses Jess. Clodagh is joined shortly by Daniel (Fionn Foley), and there is a feeling of apprehension in the air. This is no ordinary meeting, as the two are here to decide the fate of a residual sum of money in quite an unorthodox manner.  Their need for a quorum and their desperation to avoid HR Lady Susan (Helen Norton) forces them to find Jess and bring her into these proceedings. She is an outsider in a very strange new world!

This is a new play by playwright Caitríona Daly, who is known for Duck Duck Goose (Fishamble), among others. She has been quietly making her name as a playwright, and this is her biggest production to date.

Set Designer Ronán Duffy has created the world of this unnamed company. It has all the standard features, with a large conference table and padded leather chairs, the trappings of wealth and success.

If you’re looking for a play exploring the subtle world of office dynamics and power, this is not it! Instead, we get a madcap comedy, loosely based around an office. The play has some good gags, which are well executed by the committed cast. They embrace the madness, with scenes of the characters dressed as Mexican wrestlers and computer game characters. This mischievous fun is all carried out in the meeting room, while HR Lady Susan (Helen Norton) pounds on the door trying to find out what is going on inside. It’s irreverent and playful, but it does discuss some of the many failings of modern Dublin, such as the housing crisis. The play gets stronger towards the finale, with a couple of interesting monologues from Fionn Foley and Caoimhe O’Malley catching the attention. If you’re looking for something energetic and whimsical, this will suit your needs. 

Credits
The Receptionist Formerly Known as Jess: Emma Dargan-Reid
Daniel: Fionn Foley
HR Lady Susan: Helen Norton
Clodagh: Caoimhe O’Malley
Crónán and Frank: Bryan Quinn

Writer: Caitríona Daly
Director: Raymond Keane
Set Designer: Ronán Duffy
Costume Designer: Saileóg O’Halloran
Lighting Designer: Dara Hoban
Composition and Sound Designer: Jenny O’Malley
Fight Director: Alan Walsh
Hair and Make Up: Leonard Daly
Voice Director: Andrea Ainsworth
Casting Director: Barry Coyle
Illustration of Caitríona Daly: Louise Boughton
Graphic Design: AAD