Shard – Bewley’s Cafe Theatre – Review

SHARD by Stewart Roche​​​​
October 20th – November 8th, 2025

In this tale, we meet Spooner (Neill Fleming). He’s a man in his mid-thirties with a good job in finance, who just doesn’t see the point of it all. He gets involved in several Facebook groups and Reddit forums with other disenchanted individuals and is eventually invited to a house in Rathmines for a gathering. At this meeting, he is introduced to a mysterious stranger called Kemp. He is offered a chance at a life outside of the norms of society on an island off the West of Ireland.

This is a new tale written by Stewart Roche, which started life at a “sell-out premiere in LA” and was later adapted for BBC radio. Stewart Roche has become a mainstay of the fringe theatre scene in Dublin, writing a variety of tales of things that go bump in the night. This new work is not quite as ghoulish as what went before and is closer to a macabre thriller. We know that despite the surroundings, all is not quite as it seems.

The story being told is a twist on many that have been told previously, with our protagonist going to a far-off island to discover a new life, which he hopes will deliver him from the banality of modern living. What he finds is something else entirely! The play is presented in the round, with Neil Fleming walking barefoot through the audience, staring directly into our eyes. He is dressed in dirty clothing and seems quite otherworldly. It is an intense way for the tale to be delivered, which adds extra depth to the experience. This is perfect material for the Halloween season, and Fleming’s performance elevates it into something quite unique.

CAST AND CREW​
WRITTEN BY: Stewart Roche
DIRECTED BY: Alan Smyth
PERFORMED BY: Neill Fleming
PRODUCED BY: Elizabeth Boykewich
SET DESIGN: Martin Cahill
COSTUME DESIGN:Elizabeth Boykewich
SOUND DESIGN: Amelia Anello
LIGHTING DESIGN: Colm Maher