Words: Libby Taylor
5 stars
Good With Faces is a completely captivating show asking how far we would go to protect ourselves. We are thrown straight into the story of social worker, Hegarty, interviewing mother, Garrick, to determine whether her son is safe to stay with her or not. The acting throughout is outstanding, authentic and natural, which becomes all the more impressive as untruths get exposed and both characters reveal hidden layers that have been just under the surface throughout. Both Duggan and McBrearty are experts at completely embodying the state of their characters through physicality, vocals, and facial expressions, leaving the audience in no doubt about how they are feeling, even when this isn’t expressed through words.
Oisin Kearney, Writer and Director, has to be given credit for his part in making this such an intriguing and layered show. He dots the play with breadcrumbs; seemingly unimportant comments and props are later revealed to have so much more depth than initially implied, making this a truly thrilling experience. The set is minimal, yet effective, creating a space that feels like a middle class home, whilst also capturing the intrusive nature of the interview being conducted and giving a sense of the claustrophobia, which grows as the play progresses. Likewise, sound effects and different lighting states are solely used to bookmark the piece, which makes their inclusion all the more noticeable and significant, and leads to a stunning image at the end. A brilliant play, which is beautifully executed.
Good With Faces
TechCube 0 @ Summerhall
16:20
6-31 Aug (excluding 18th and 25th)