Annie Ryan’s adaptation of Eimear McBride’s novel tells the story of the first 20 years in the life of a Dublin girl, growing up with her dominant mother and older brother. The raw and harrowing narrative includes several shocking elements as the girl grows to accept being the victim of various forms of abuse and adds to her own torment. The character is brought vividly to life in an astonishing performance by Aoife Duffin. Describing events in a matter-of-fact way, she makes the lowering of the girl’s self esteem seem almost as horrific as the pain of what it is inflicted upon her and, standing alone on the large stage of Traverse 1, she paints an unforgettable picture of loneliness and despair.
Performance date: 15 August 2015
The Beast's Pen 