Review: BALLYTURK, Tron Theatre, Glasgow

Written by Enda Walsh, Ballyturk is a play that features two nameless men inside a room, imagining a world outside. They have filled the fictional village of Ballyturk with characters and history and spend their days telling stories about this place.

Every time I thought I had Ballyturk figured out, it took another twist. Were they on drugs? Was I on drugs? I left the theatre having enjoyed myself but would definitely struggle to describe what I had just seen- which isn't ideal when you have to write a review on it.

The staging for Ballyturk is excellent. The room that the two men inhabit is bleak and they sleep on a bare mattress on the floor. The back of the set opens up, later on, to give us a glimpse of the outside world.

The cast are terrific- Simon Donaldson and Grant O'Rourke leap from intense monologues to completely bonkers sequences with ease. The monologues are wonderfully poetic and a joy to listen to. Wendy Seager appears as the third character and brings with her more confusion and some of the best lines in the play.

There's an underlying sadness to Ballyturk but I can't quite pinpoint why. Is it about death? Is it about existence? Is it about rabbits? I have absolutely no idea.

Ballyturk is at the Tron Theatre, Glasgow until Saturday 20th October.

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