Visions – Abbey Theatre (Peacock Stage) – Review
Dates – 2 October – 14 November 2026

A World Premiere Abbey Theatre production

visions – Written by Eoghan Quinn
Directed by Claire O’Reilly

The play initially presents itself as a rehearsed reading. The four actors take to the stage and sit around a utilitarian table, scripts in hand. Ghaliah Conroy introduces herself and explains her role as narrator. She sets the scene, reading aloud the script’s descriptions of the location and providing the context for the action that follows. The only significant piece of furniture is a massive crystal chandelier suspended above the centre of the table. A flamboyant and imposing presence, it repeatedly draws the audience’s eye, becoming an unlikely focal point in this otherwise sparse setting.

The play centres on the preparations for an event in a run-down ballroom somewhere off O’Connell Street. Tadhg (Mark Lambert), a builder and odd-jobs man, has been heavily involved in getting the space ready, while Denise (Derbhle Crotty), an interior designer, is responsible for overseeing the renovations. Initially, the pair are alone on stage, discussing the work completed so far as the deadline for the event looms ever closer. A group of American investors is due to arrive to consider providing seed capital for a medical-device app developed by a company fronted by Rob (Oliver Flitcroft). The final member of the cast is Aimee (Lauren Larkin), a conservation architect with the council whose job is to ensure that the renovations do not compromise the building’s protected features.

The play is written by Eoghan Quinn, formerly a member of Collapsing Horse Theatre. Although the company itself is no longer active, its former members have continued to make their mark on the Abbey Theatre in recent years. Collapsing Horse’s former Artistic Director, Dan Colley, directed the current production of Animals on the Abbey main stage. Quinn is known for works including The Water Orchard and Bears in Space, among others. The production is directed by Claire O’Reilly, whose previous work includes Hothouse and BÁN.

The decision to frame the production as a rehearsed reading plays cleverly with the audience’s expectations, leaving us unprepared for some of the surprises that emerge as the story unfolds. The piece has a fluid quality, as the audience gradually discovers more about the lives of its four central characters. We dip in and out of their experiences through dreamlike monologues, along with exchanges with their fellow performers, moving between the immediate action and glimpses of the inner lives. Much remains concealed, with details and revelations emerging gradually as the play progresses. There is a welcome sense of playfulness to the staging, keeping the audience engaged and slightly off balance, never entirely certain where the story will lead next.

Credits
Reader: Ghaliah Conroy
Denise: Derbhle Crotty
Rob: Oliver Flitcroft
Tadhg: Mark Lambert
Aimee: Lauren Larkin

Written by: Eoghan Quinn
Directed by: Claire O’Reilly
Set and Costume Design: Katie Davenport
Lighting Design: John Gunning
Composition and Sound Design: Anna Clock
Movement Director: Simone O’Toole
Dramaturg: Ruth McGowan
Intimacy Coordinator : Ruth Lehane
Hair and Make Up: Tee Elliott
Casting: Barry Coyle and Dawn Mac Allister
Voice Director: Andrea Ainsworth
Assistant Director: Julia Sirna-Frest
Assistant Set Designer: Andrew Kirwan
Assistant Costume Designer: Erica Smith
Publicity Image: Patricio Cassinoni
Production Images: Ros Kavanagh