Lie Low review: A tense investigation of the effects of trauma

Lie Low

Project Arts Centre (Cube Space)

★★★★☆

“It started with the nightmares.” Faye, played by Charlotte McCurry, cannot sleep. A year ago she was attacked in her home, and now she is searching for answers. With the help of her brother Naoise, played by Michael Patrick, she sets out to overcome her fear in an unconventional way.

Lie Low plays with boundaries, and it does so with care and intelligence. Ciara Elizabeth Smyth’s sharp writing is complemented by simple yet effective design. Ciaran Bagnall’s lighting conjures the dark moments of Faye’s unravelling, highlighting for the audience the porous and unpredictable reality of trauma. This, coupled with Denis Clohessy’s soundscape, ensures that the performance’s potent surrealism is maintained.

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In Lie Low there is an overpowering sense of entrapment. But who exactly is being entrapped remains to be seen. This short production creates a breathless and relentless tension that is sustained by McCurry and Patrick’s powerfully physical performances.

Amid the grapple for answers, it is clear that in this struggle for power and truth, everyone will remain in the dark.