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Issues of identity, gender and sexuality are explored with poignant simplicity in HotForTheatre’s production of Luck Just Kissed You Hello. Directed by Caitriona McLaughlin, the play tells the story of Mark, who is transgender- formerly Laura- returning home to say goodbye to his dying father. Joined by his brothers, Gary and Sullivan, Mark must decide whether or not to sign papers, using his former name, to turn off his father’s life support machine. This complex identity crisis causes the brothers to delve into their own fractured memories, to come to terms with the issues of masculinity that had been imposed on them by the very man who lies in the next room.
The subject matter is handled with incredible precision by Mark (Amy Conroy), Sullivan (Mark Fitzgerald), Gary (Will O’Connell). The humorous confusion when confronted with their brother, Mark, for the first time, pervades believable interactions. Conroy delivers a wholeheartedly engaging performance. She plays Mark’s despair with palpable subtlety and precision; and the fluid mix of sibling banter and family jealousies is powerfully relatable. The combination of highly emotional action interjected with extended periods of waiting allows the piece to move at a pace that perfectly suits the hour and a half run. This allowed for comical, even hilarious moments between the characters – a prime example being when Mark and Gary move their chairs painstakingly slowly and loudly to sit alongside a sulking Sullivan.
The production itself is notable in its simplicity. Three hospital chairs surround a table, but the images created by the actors are not those of a traditional, if boring, three-hander-domestic-scene. The easy transitions into old memories juxtapose the proposed naturalistic style, lending to thoroughly modern and interesting scenes. This allows the themes to playout in collapsed time, portraying the present anxieties alongside their troubling roots.These tricky waters are navigated expertly by McLaughlin, and the audience is rarely bogged down in plot. Although some revelations are a little tardy, causing the time to drag towards the end of the piece, Conroy’s subtle and touching performance carries it through.
Whatever your preferences, ‘Luck Just Kissed You Hello’ is a noble exploration of the dangers of encouraging idealised views of gender, sexual orientation and family life, a prevailing issue today. Catch the show when it undoubtedly transfers.
Luck Just Kissed You Hello is showing in Draiocht, Blanchardstown on the 7th and 8th of October, and in the Mermaid Arts Centre on the 9th and 10th of October, as part of the Dublin Theatre Festival. Tickets €10-€20.
