The intimate layout of the Playhouse was the ideal setting for the cosy stage set dressed as a family kitchen/ dining room. Idiosyncrasies such as mould on the plinth and rust on the washing machine were indicative of a working-class household. The fully functioning cooking facilities were active in real time, with the aroma sucking the audience into the play.
The black comedy has a cast of four, representing the great-grandmother, grandmother, daughter and great-granddaughter. They meet in the family home in Northern Ireland to ‘celebrate’ the landmark birthday, with the two youngest having arrived from England. The quartet represents a cross-section of generations and nationalities, which are exploited in the sharply written script.
The play touches on a whole range of intergenerational and nationalistic subjects throughout the 70-minute duration. A tense atmosphere is generated as they skip through topics such as the evolution of the female identity, eating disorders, mental health problems and suicide. Being set in Northern Ireland, the underlying and often unresolved problems associated with growing up during the Troubles sit deep in the narrative.
The rawness of the script instigates conflict and comedy as each family member stumbles through the dinner as they try to endure the reunion. They struggle to understand each other's point of view and often contradict themselves in the process.
The older matriarch, Eileen Gillespie (Julia Dearden), is stoic and stubborn and born of a time during the Troubles where people had to make do with little. Gilly Gillespie (Andrea Irvine) – Is the long-suffering daughter of Eileen and the target of much vitriol from her daughter, Jenny (Caoimhe Farren). Making up the family mismatch is teenager Muireann (Muireann Ni Fhaogain), whose Gen Z sensibilities bring the expected exasperation to the older generations. All four of the characters are expertly portrayed and communicate the differing attitudes and personalities of each generation.
The script, acting and Katie Posner’s direction navigate a minefield of emotionally difficult topics with just the right amount of humour to make this a must-see, twisted black comedy.
Winner of the Women’s Prize for Playwriting Award 2022
Production run (Playhouse Sheffield):
Wednesday 24September – 11 October 2025
https://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/events/consumed/dates
Reviewer: Matthew Burgin
On: 25/9/2025
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