NEVER CLOSER

About the show

Northern Ireland, 1987. Deirdre is stuck – between arguments, nations, and the lives she almost lived. But when her old schoolfriends gather in her kitchen yet again for Christmas Eve, their growing differences push to the surface a powder-keg, waiting the tiniest spark. And then one of them turns up with her surprise fiancé. He’s English. Set against the backdrop of The Troubles, this brilliant debut play is an unforgettable drama of home, friends, the decision to leave or stay, and the possibility of forgiveness. Grace Chapple’s Never Closer premiered Downstairs at Belvoir in 2022 as part of 25A and I haven’t seen anything so assured and accomplished in ages. It’s a tight, mature piece of writing with some finely-detailed performances in an exquisitely directed production by Hannah Goodwin. So, in a grand tradition, we’re bringing it Upstairs. This is a chance to see a thoughtful, crafted new play by an Australian writing of her ancestral land. In six characters and a single room, Grace catches the tremors of a whole country and a whole time – with some striking resonances for here today. – Eamon