Underneath

This new play from Fishamble, written and performed by Pat Kinevane, examines our obsession with image. Through his skilfully crafted one-man show, Kinevane provides us with perhaps the only antidote: to laugh. At times this 90-minute performance is like a stand-up routine, but it is more than just that. With impeccable sound and lighting cues, dramatic mood shifts and fabulously choreographed character transformations, he takes us on a journey. “You never know what’s round the corner” is his refrain. In his previous two plays, Silence and Forgotten, Kinevane featured people living on the fringes of society. Here our nameless girl’s story, told from the grave, gives voice to the voiceless. Facially disfigured, she has spent her life being shunned and humiliated, so Kinevane challenges us, pointing at his blackened face: “When was the last time you judged another . . . just because of this?” Denis Clohessy’s sound composition is integral, particularly the song How Excellent. Visually exciting, clever use is made of simply draped gold lamé to evoke the girl’s Egyptian-princess fantasy.