Freefall

Written by Ava Macgregor-Dennis | 11 August 2010

Freefall is a breathtaking piece of theatre. Through an ingenious combination of superb acting, technology and set design, the audience is made not only to see, but to feel the sudden shock and revelations of a man whose life is coming to an end.

Winner of Best New Play at the Irish Theatre Awards 2010, this production is compelling in its issues and its very human, realistic portrayals of those affected by one man’s ordinary, uneventful life. The seamless transitions between flashbacks and the present reflect a man (unnamed and unnoticed in the story of his own life) trying to piece together the events that defined him. 

Michael West seeks to explore the effects of loss, helplessness and grief attached to the ‘freefall’ experienced by many in recent years of recession and change. However, the potentially unbearably sad script is transformed into an often incredibly funny piece of theatre by the playful, heartwarming acting of an extraordinarily talented cast. 

Left only with his physical awareness, character A (Andrew Bennett) takes the audience with him through his experience of what appears to be a symbolic representation of a wider loss of cultural identity, yet the play remains surprisingly uplifting through its compassionate exploration of humanity. Intelligent and moving, ‘Freefall’ is not a play to be missed. 

Traverse, 8-29 Aug, times vary