Review: Reunion, Kiln Theatre

One of my favourite film-going moments was seeing Intermission in London. The movie opens with Colin Farrell’s character flirting with a waitress. Everything seems fine, even sweet, until he punches her in the face and robs the place. Full-on black comedy! We laughed so hard, then even harder on realising how few people in the cinema got the joke.

Reunion, written by Mark O’Rowe, who also wrote Intermission, is making its UK debut at the Kiln Theatre after a successful run at the Galway International Arts Festival and before transferring to Dublin. Reunion brings to life a storm-battered family gathering, where black comedy collides with simmering tension and the sharp bite of familial resentment.

On an island off the west coast of Ireland, a family gathers for the first time in a while to raise a drink in memory of their father. There are new partners and life updates to share. As the night goes on and the cracks between to appear, Reunion moves easily between funny, often sharp dialogue and moments of real emotional weight, reflecting the real world nature of family gatherings.

The dialogue feels so realistic, the small bickering and larger passive aggressive moments between the siblings rings true even as it builds up into a storm. O’Rowe, who also directs, has a natural ease within his ensemble that it’s easy to forget you are watching actors, together on stage; they are a family with all the love and contradictions which that can bring. It feels like listening to a genuine family reunion.

Given a cast of ten, the quality in the ensemble is truly spectacular. Six of the cast return from the original Irish run with four new actors stepping in. Each captures that subtle mix of warmth, wit and unease in a family gathering but without overshadowing each other. Their chemistry lets the humour in the script flow naturally, while the silences carry real weight. The pacing feels perfectly managed, moving effortlessly between sniping at each other and quieter, reflective moments. In particular Stephen Brennan’s measured performance as Felix provides a steady anchor, calm and quiet, offsetting the more volatile and emotional moments of other family members.

The storm around the island mirrors the gathering. At times it is gusting and blowing and chopping up the sea, but at other moments quiet and lurking. Aoife Kavanagh’s sound design excels, crashing waves bringing both a sense of calm yet also an undercurrent of tension. Francis O’Connor’s set brings the cottage to life, you might be thinking of a rural traditional Irish cottage, but this is a modern setting, gorgeous wood and large glass windows overlooking the choppy sea. It feels familiar with the kitchen table sat at the very heart, first just a place to sit with tea, then a place for all to gather together for dinner. The table sits there silently but hearing all.

Reunion really captures that strange mix of warmth and familiarity alongside distance; no-one chooses their families and not everyone is going to always get along. Sometimes you just have to batten down the hatches, ride out the storm and hope you can pick up the pieces the next day. The play comfortably moves from laughs and black comedy into the quiet moments where you can feel the distance and weight of regrets and the storm between the family members along with the echo of the storm outside. Family gatherings can be complicated, sometimes you just want to get out of there! This one, I wasn’t so keen to rush out of, a perfect storm of humour, heart, and complex families.

Written and directed by Mark O’Rowe
Set Design by Francis O’Connor
Costume Design by Joan O’Clery
Lighting Design by Sinéad McKenna
Sound Design by Aoife Kavanagh
Costumes by Ciara Fleming
Hair and Makeup by Tee Elliott
Fight Direction by Ciaran O’Grady
Produced by: Landmark Productions and Galway International Arts Festival

Reunion plays at Kiln Theatre until Saturday 11 October.