Never Closer (Patalog Theatre), at fortyfivedownstairs
Spirited, tense and unrelenting comes this tale of kinship and hatred set against the backdrop of The Troubles in Northern Ireland.
Pivoting around the personal fallout for a group of friends, it marks a searing debut for Australian writer Grace Chapple.
The starting point is the late 1970s, at Deidre’s (Enya Daly) home, close to the border of occupied Ireland.
Five teenage friends gather to farewell Deidre’s bestie, Niamh (Ella Ferris), who is set to move to London the next day to study medicine.
Another Niamh is leaving behind is her boyfriend, Connor (Damon Baudin).
Meanwhile, Jimmy (Kaivu Suvarna) has carried a torch for Deidre for quite some time, but can’t find it within himself to tell her.
Mind you, it is not as if the others aren’t wise to it, in particular Mary (Molly Holohan) who isn’t afraid to say so.
The evening begins with Deidre relaying a ghost story.
It ends when the atmosphere of bonhomie is broken by the sound of a bomb – yet another one – going off nearby.
Then we cut to Christmas Eve in 1987, when the atmosphere has decidedly shifted.
Farmer Jimmy finally plucks up the courage to tell English teacher Deidre how he feels, but she is blindsided.
Unbeknown to Jimmy, she and Connor have been having a fling.
Meanwhile, Mary has left her job and is set to move to New York the following week.
And who should turn up unexpectedly? None other than Niamh, who has totally lost touch with the group and moved on with her life.
Well on her way to becoming a psychiatrist, she is not alone. With her is her English fiancé, Harry (Rupert Bevan) – a toffy barrister and Crown prosecutor.
Connor, who has suffered deep, personal hurt, is incensed by this turn of events. So too Deidre who has also experienced significant loss that Niamh ignored.
The tension is palpable. The Troubles have well and truly taken their toll, resulting in animosity and division. Living “a normal”, carefree life is not an option. Harsh words are exchanged. The group drinks.
But the situation is about to get a whole lot worse.
The final act plays out a generation on, in what was Deidre’s home, in the wake of the historic Good Friday Agreement of April 1998.
Never Closer is a highly affecting, heartfelt piece of work by Grace Chapple – a compelling story of personal and political heartache and pain.
Not without humour and lighter moments, it is an extremely potent, clever and mature theatrical experience that exposes vulnerability.
It expertly deals with the unthinkable horrors experienced under British occupation, when over thirty years of warfare more than 2,000 Irish people were killed.
Against that backdrop, the drinks (whisky) and smokes are always close at hand for these friends and foes.
The performances, big on naturalism, are wonderfully led by Enya Daly. All are strong and redolent, as we, the audience, become highly invested in the fate of group.
With lace curtains drawn, authenticity is imbued in the nostalgic living room set created by Dann Barber and Ella Butler.
Evocative sound and lighting design by Rachel Lewindon and Sam Martin respectively also have a significant part to play.
Director Marni Mount holds us tightly throughout the 90-minutes without interval by keeping the action moving – from celebration to confrontation and shock.
The psychological impact of The Troubles is seared into our psyche through the individual circumstances that play out.
Never Closer is a superb production, on at fortyfivedownstairs until 1st November, 2026.
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