The Kerryman

Sean Fox and Lauren Larkin in The Kerrman. Image, Al Craig

*****

Cait's a river dancing, loudmouth, performance artist from Dublin forever espousing liberal notions. Eoin’s a quiet, awkward, self-conscious Kerry bogger whose nine to five job involves insuring insurance. Cait's just back from a five year stint in Berlin living as an artist, this is Eoin’s first time living in Dublin as an adjuster. Cait lives at home with her Mum and has seven euro in her bank account, Eoin lives away from home in a fancy apartment and has probably saved his Confirmation money. Aside from being single, thirty and undergoing a premature midlife crisis, they have nothing remotely in common. Eva O'Connor's irresistible The Kerryman providing incontrovertible proof that opposites do indeed attract. And not just attract, but steal your heart in this utterly winning production.

The title is somewhat misleading, placing emphasis on Eoin when it’s their relationship which is the real focus. Loosely divided into two sections, one part play, one part screenplay, The Kerryman kicks off like a leisurely stroll before ending as mad dash for the bus stop. Exposition and backstory leisurely established through contrasting monologues offset by dialogue, the opening third equal parts story, equal parts character study. A chance meeting at a bar, dim recognition, reluctant agreement and the insecure awkwardness of trying to get it on when you haven’t got anything on in forever culminates in a night to remember. Signalling a shift from play to screenplay, hurrying through snap shots of the rise and possible fall of their relationship. Leading up to an ending that either hits you as perfect or leaves you screaming at the stage, “why the hell did you stop there?”

Sean Fox and Lauren Larkin in The Kerrman. Image, Al Craig

If The Kerryman shares striking similarities to O’Connor’s delightful Maz and Bricks from 2020, O’Connor’s current story shows huge maturity. Granted, chlamydia damaged fallopian tubes, shared ketamine trips, flashing shaved or unshaved vaginas, and how it's simply impossible to flirt with Germans might not sound all that mature. But O'Connor's writing, like her characters proves deceptively deeper than its surface appears. Themes of communication, trust, and negotiating fertility informing O'Connor's heartfelt rom com. O’Connor’s sharply observed vernacular, married to a rich psychological realism, brilliantly capturing its protagonist’s utter compatibility and cultural incompatibility. Cait’s go to defence to shout out the world even as her defences are killing her.  Eoin the embodiment of bewildered kindness even when unsure how to acknowledge his own needs. Together, sparks fly. Sparks leading to fires. Fires that will either burn the house down or fuse two metals into one.

That you root so hard for these messed up misfits has much to do with two seductive performances. Sean Fox giving Mescal a run for his money as the good looking, awkward, GAA, rural poster boy, all eyes, kindness and charm. Fox's monologues superbly rendered, his chemistry with Lauren Larkin a fusion of irrepressible joy. Whatever Larkin’s been up to recently, it clearly agrees with her; her craft taken to a whole other level. Larkin's irrepressible Cait vivid, vibrant and vulnerable. Both Larkin and Fox devastatingly detailed when articulating swift transitions from monologue to dialogue, shifting from joy to terror. The joy of keeping their relationship going, the terror of losing it.

Sean Fox and Lauren Larkin in The Kerrman. Image, Al Craig

Under Rex Ryan’s astute direction, Andrew Clancy two box set and Isabel Greene’s superb light design add accent to two impeccable performances. Ryan’s genius use of an uncredited sound design highlighting the tension between private person versus their public persona. In which background noises present in conversation dissipate in the transition from dialogue back to monologue. At one point you wonder if the sound engineer has stepped out for a sneaky break. But an understated coup de theatre near the end makes evident that what has disappeared is the sound because the divide between characters is erased. A simple device, yet its impact is profound.

O’Connor, one the Ireland’s most exciting artists, is currently busy with Fishamble: The New Play Company, in association with Lime Tree Theatre, Belltable, Galway International Arts Festival and Traverse Theatre. Getting ready to premiere another new work, For Dolores, at Galway International Arts Festival 2026, followed by a stint at The Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Which is why you need to catch this adorable production now. Two peerless performances, top drawer direction, and an utter charmer of a script, The Kerryman is a joy you don't want to deprive yourself of.

The Kerryman, by Eva O’Connor, runs at Glass Mask Theatre until June 13.

For more information visit Glass Mask Theatre