EVERY so often the same social media post resurfaces on my timeline. Someone in their mid-to-late-twenties asking the hive mind for reassurance, wondering if their inability to ‘adult’ - and by that, I mean find the right career, get into a healthy relationship, move out of their parents’ house and drink enough water - is their own personal failing or a shared plight.
This anxiety is something that the opening of Kirby Thompson and Orla Graham’s play Float accurately depicts whilst also providing reassurance that no-one in their twenties has it all figured out.
Seen at The Mac last year after its premiere at the Dublin Fringe Festival, the Belfast-centric play returns to the venue for a short stint before travelling to the Edinburgh Fringe in August.
Produced by Crybaby Productions, Float is a small play in terms of staging, using just three boxes, a few paper cups and a deck of cards to set the scene – but it made a huge impact.
The story explores the relationship between friends Grace, Caitlyn, Mia and Erin, four twentysomething students who are experiencing their first taste of freedom and independence after moving in together.
However, this fun, carefree lifestyle filled with house parties, broken windows and a few too many rounds of Kings is short lived after a traumatic sexual assault exposes the group to a harsh and unfair reality.
Sexual assault is becoming an increasingly prevalent theme in many dramas both on stage and screen as we’ve seen in shows like I May Destroy You, Anatomy of a Scandal and, most recently, Baby Reindeer. However, what sets Float apart is its focus on the aftermath. It portrays the isolation, fear of judgment and the need for control that survivors experience with a gripping accuracy.
Thompson and Graham’s writing is sensitive, empathetic and at times humorous, which is a welcome relief from the heaviness of the subject matter, as well as being quintessentially Northern Irish - sure if you didn’t laugh you’d cry...
Through their writing the duo also emphasise the importance of healing and the integral part our relationships play in the process, serving as a light at the end of a
dark tunnel.
There was evident chemistry between the cast, made up of Leah Williamson (Grace), Annina Watton (Mia), Ellen Andrews (Erin) and Graham (Caitlyn) which made the story feel all the more personal and emotive. Graham’s comedic timing in particular was excellent.
Although at times the acting did feel stage school-esque which juxtaposed the gritty and hard hitting subject matter making it feel awkward and lacking in places.
But overall, Float is a powerful, impactful piece of theatre that sums up the contemporary world we are now living in. It’s relatable, compelling and bravely addresses a difficult topic in a way that focuses on hope rather than hurt.
