Heroin(e) for Breakfast | Pillowtalk Theatre Company | 10 Days in Dublin

Star Rating: 4/5

Heroin(e) for Breakfast | Pillowtalk Theatre Company | 10 Days in Dublin
Smock Alley Theatre

Taking a critically acclaimed and award-winning piece from the Edinburgh Fringe and bringing it out of it's native country is no small task, and doing it well is another conquest in and of itself, but with Heroin(e) for Breakfast, Pillowtalk Theatre Company have accomplished both. Philip Stokes's 2009 Fringe hit takes place in a dingy flat as three reckless disparate youths deal with life, sex and drugs in the shadow of modern England's downturn.

From the outset, the dreary setting let's you know you're in for a grim ride, and with a clamour of music and burst of sexual activity Heroin(e) for Breakfast kicks off with a bang and the level stays constant throughout. And from the moment each of the four players open their mouths, the dark comedy and pop culture witticisms come rolling out in rapid succession, all the while the tragedy of the entire scenario slowly comes to the fore like dye spreading through blotting paper, informing each character's motives just enough to give them realism without being heavy-handed.

As an ensemble, the four actors are remarkable, each taking their material and going for it hell for leather whether tackling accents or choreography or intimidating asides. Manus Halligan toes that anti-hero line perfectly, captivating in his bravado and showmanship but all the while remaining a truly despicable character. Rachel Gleeson puts on her best Jane Horrocks voice as Chloe, but any sense of impersonation ends there as she hits every line and interaction on the head and delivers probably the most heartbreaking performance in the show. Genevieve Hulme-Beaman is equally compelling, portraying Edie's passion and naive youth with an equally young fire. And last but not least, Clare O'Malley's Heroine is delightfully played, her asides darkly comic and disturbing in equal measure, and her bi-polar interchanges with the other three characters captivating in their brutality.

The show is vulgar, jarringly so at times, and isn't for the faint of heart in that regard, but the wit and sharpness in the dialogue and performance more than make up for this. There are many clicéhd traps the piece could fall into, the acknowledgement of the 4th wall and its subsequent breaking is borderline arrogant, but overall Heroin(e) for Breakfast avoids them thanks to strong performances from compelling character actors and a script that grabs you from the start and doesn't let go. Thoroughly entertaining theatre.

REVIEW BY: David O'Shaughnessy

Story by EI Team | 09:00 | Friday 6th July 2012 | Theatre

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