A NEW Irish drama that begins with a sliced finger soon opens some old wounds as five sisters descend on the family home with the dreaded news that their father is on his deathbed.
Cailíní is written by Belfast playwrights Íde Simpson and Beth Strahan, and delves into the world of sibling rivalry and long-held jealousies. We peak behind the curtains of the Mahon household. What happens when one sister stays behind in the family home to raise the younger sister and look after an abusive father? Themes that are familiar from many Irish homes come to the fore – the fear of being trapped and the fear of flight. Each woman has their own tale to tell during one Friday night, where the wine is opened and the truth pours out with devastating consequences.
There are six actors on stage. Úna (Íde Simpson) summons the girls home with news that their father is gravely ill. There she is joined by Annie (Éabha Ó Céidigh Hayes), Katherine (Lily-Kate Hearns), Clodagh (Megan Doherty) with boyfriend Eamonn Brown (Seán McDermott) and half-sister Mairead (Juliet Hill). Katherine, who now lives in London, goes head-to-head with Úna from the start as old grievances spill out. And throughout all of this we are left pondering what Eamonn’s role is in this family dynamic.
A clever use of music at strategic stages of the play increases the tension in the Mahon kitchen as the women’s relationship with one another falls apart.
Cailíní debuted at the Samuel Beckett Theatre in Dublin in November 2023 and its five-day run ended at The Lyric Theatre on Sunday. Its staging is part of The Lyric's commitment to emerging theatre talent. From the audience's reaction, there is definitely an appetite for more of this.
