ED2013 3/5 Reviews ED2013 Theatre Reviews

Substance (Sunday’s Child Ireland)

By | Published on Friday 2 August 2013

“Find the sliver of sky”, Jodie urges fellow drugs worker Simone in ‘Substance’, a brutal blend of physical and conventional theatre from Traverse 50 writer Eva O’Connor. But there is little light to be had for the four characters in this portrayal of life revolving around the bagging, selling and (on Fridays) ritualistic taking of cocaine. Set in a single flat, the production makes powerful use of physical theatre to illustrate the characters’ repetitive, inescapable daily routine and the evolving relationship between Simone and Jodie, who quietly steal the show from their initially dominant male counterparts. But despite this, the play’s nihilistic descent into violence has a sadly familiar predictability, while the tantalising promise of delving deeper into the characters’ relationships feels unfulfilled.

C nova, until 26 Aug, 8.40pm.
tw rating 3/5 | [Sarah Richardson]



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