Reunion: A magnificent family mystery that lingers in the mind
A family comes together to remember a dead father but subtle power plays are at work.
Black Box Theatre - Galway International Arts Festival
★★★★★
The ocean waves surrounding an island home are looking rough, according to reports by residents in Mark O’Rowe’s magnificent new play for Landmark Productions and Galway International Arts Festival. In opening moments that are insistently uneventful – a mother is seen peeling potatoes and preparing dinner; a houseguest fusses over a phone charger; someone else reads out a shopping list - the marine forecast is surely foreshadowing consequential events to come.
In this holiday home off the west coast, a family have decamped from Dublin to mark the one-year anniversary of their father’s death. Siblings Marilyn (Valene Kane) and Maurice (Robert Sheahan) recommend local scenic spots to their partners, with occasional interjections from their mother Elaine (Cathy Belton) as she busies around the kitchen. In O’Rowe’s remarkable dialogue, the familiar rhythms of family – the playful teases, the impatient groans – are almost musical.