Mad Mary is a tough nosed, hard living, uncompromising girl trapped in a small town in Ireland who needs a date for a friends wedding. That seed leads her through a journey of self discovery and realisation which is at the same time enchants you while you expect a boot to the head. Played with a tough girls sneer by Caolifhionn Dunne, Mary is a girl you dont want to be on the bad side of, who has spent more than a few nights in jail for antisocial behavior, but after the first ten minutes, chinks begin to appear in her armor. Marys desperation for a date leads her through various dating remedies, none of which work properly, but usually to fantastic comic effect. Ms. Dunne is never short of entrancing, drawing us into each episode with a sense of hopeful dread and manic intensity, while never letting the piece slow down too much. The design of the piece enhances throughout, with the sense of Marys house with a leaky roof made manifest with a barrage of plastic rubbish bins all laid out to catch the ever dripping water. All in all, this is a fun hour of theatre which anyone who has experienced the awkwardness of an online date (as I have) can make many connections to.
