Thin Places, Little Angel Theatre – review

‘Heaven and Earth are only three feet apart, but in thin places that distance is even shorter’. Image: Fire Monkey Productions

There are times when we experience a collision of social and moral worlds that make us rethink who we are.

Thin Places, the new drama by Fire Monkey Productions, probes the intricacies of place, morality and identity with delicacy and humour.

The play, written and directed by Mial Pagan, is set in a small Northern Irish village from which young Eugene Gillan has set out to build a career in the financial world of the City of London. But when Eugene returns to visit, he discovers that his mathematical genius is not matched by his understanding of the people he loves, and he struggles to grasp the world he once thought of as his own.

The production draws liberally on themes from Irish folklore, expressed most directly by the farsighted blind woman Moira, who conjures up the Celtic idea of mystical locales where borders between worlds are blurred: “Heaven and Earth are only three feet apart, but in thin places that distance is even shorter.”

The notion of ‘thin places’ which gives the play its title unfolds in the emotional turmoil that is unleashed by Gillian and the secrets he holds.

There are standout performances from Guy Conroy-Smith as the troubled lead Eugene, and Abbe Waghorn, who gives a haunting performance as Moira.

The quality of the script and acting make this one of the brightest stars in the firmament of the 2024 Camden Fringe – a great way to round off your festival.

Thin Places is on at the Little Angel Theatre in Islington until 24 August 2024.

For details, see Camdenfringe.com.