A Fishamble and Irish Theatre Institute co-production for the Dublin Fringe Festival, Kicking All The Boxes is a one woman show written and performed by Liz FitzGibbon. The venue is the quaint Bewleys Cafe Theatre, located on the top floor of the Powerscourt Centre, which provides a welcome break from the rush of Dublin city centre.

The stage is sparse and lit by two ceiling spotlights. A water bottle, hand wraps and gloves sit under a worn wooden bench which in turn sits on a red foam mat.

Hooded, FitzGibbon emerges from the darkness, fists clenched. As the high intensity soundtrack kicks in, combinations of jabs, hooks and kicks are aggressively dispatched into the air. Under the subtle direction of Aonghus Og McAnally, she stalks the four corners of the space, battling demons and imaginary opponents. Athletic at first, the punches begin to wain. Lights up.

Naoise- a mother, a dog walker, a granddaughter- is ‘celebrating’ her 30th birthday. An All-Ireland kickboxing champion at 15, she ponders her achievements, or lack of, since then. Her lively monologues recall a varied life of unfilled promise and unhealthy relationships.

Despite the humour, and there’s plenty of it, an eerie menace simmers under the surface. Naoise is unpredictable. She might crack a joke or break your nose, each seems equally likely. With sickening physicality she retells the story of a violent home invasion. In lighter moments we’re brought on a boozy night out, eavesdrop on awkward pillow talk and take a dip in the Celtic Sea. We meet a handful of striking characters and FitzGibbon’s accents move effortlessly from Crosshaven to Cavan and from Sandymount to Sydney.

Developed with actor Mikel Murfi, the script is funny and moving but would benefit from a tighter edit. It tackles issues like the emergence of social media, society's pressure to keep up with the Jones’ and begs the searching FAQ: What have I done with my life? A welcome addition to this year’s Fringe programme, it’ll make you think. And wince. In a good way.

Kicking All The Boxes is in the Bewleys Café Theatre at Powerscourt until September 23rd. Tickets available here.

(Photography by Cait Fahey)