Review: The Way, The Truth and The Life, Oran Mor

The Way, The Truth and The Life is a new play being staged as part of A Play, A Pie and A Pint's Spring/Summer season. It is written by Mike O'Donnell and directed by Kate Nelson.

Mary (Rosalind Sydney) enters a church in 1997. Shortly after, Jim (Kevin Lennon) arrives wearing a dog collar and it transpires that the pair are estranged siblings. The church is going to be turned into a trendy restaurant and Mary is here to survey the building. 

As they chat over sandwiches about their parents and the lives they have lived since they last spoke, family secrets are disclosed and a lot of unspoken frustrations come out. There are a few moments of light humour but for the most part, it's a very long and dreary conversation.

Both performers work well with what they're given. The set is minimal and all of the work is left up to the dialogue which is slightly lacking. There are some meatier moments in the script but it just never seems to come to much. 

There is potential here as a family drama but as a visual theatre piece, it just doesn't work as well as it should.

Photo credit: Tommy Ga-Ken Wan

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