{"id":110250,"date":"2025-08-05T22:53:37","date_gmt":"2025-08-06T05:53:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forallevents.com\/reviews\/?p=110250"},"modified":"2025-09-12T23:01:36","modified_gmt":"2025-09-13T06:01:36","slug":"consumed-at-edinburgh-fringe-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forallevents.com\/reviews\/consumed-at-edinburgh-fringe-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Consumed at Edinburgh Fringe 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"

Review by Jo Tomalin
\nFor All Events<\/p>\n

Consumed<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

Consumed by Karis Kelly and directed by Katie Posner is a World Premiere, produced by Paines Plough, Belgrade Theatre, Sheffield Theatres and Women\u2019<\/span><\/span><\/span>s <\/span><\/span><\/span>Prize for Playwriting Production in Association with Lyric Theatre Belfast, presented at the TraverseTheatre, Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025.<\/span><\/span><\/span>
\n\u2028<\/span>
\nThis multi- generational play explores themes of transgenerational trauma, national boundaries and family dynamics set in Northern Ireland.\u00a0\u2028\u2028Our introduction to this story is an attractive and cosy set of a well kept large kitchen with a table and several chairs. We learn that this is Gilly\u2019s home – and her mother, <\/span><\/span><\/span>Eileen, <\/span><\/span><\/span>the family matriarch, sits at the head of the table. Gilly is busy fussing around so that everything looks just right as their guests are about to arrive <\/span><\/span><\/span>for a birthday celebration<\/span><\/span><\/span>.\u00a0\u2028\u2028Gilly\u2019s daughter, Jenny left Northern Ireland years ago and she and her daughter Muireann, live in England and are traveling to visit and celebrate their family. The long distance between them means that family visits like these are rare, so this is a special occasion <\/span><\/span><\/span>and an opportunity to reconnect<\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The initial chitchat between Eileen and Gilly is jaunty with Eileen\u2019s comments dominating and Gilly placating her elderly mother by getting on with preparations. Gilly\u2019s house has everything in to place, for the moment. When the two younger women arrive friendly conversation <\/span><\/span><\/span>i<\/span><\/span><\/span>s punctuated by Eileen\u2019s remarks. Jenny and her daughter seem like the<\/span><\/span><\/span>y<\/span><\/span><\/span> are from another place in life and culture \u2013 and they literally are! <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

All four characters are different and well acted with texture and believability. <\/span><\/span><\/span>There is much pride about <\/span><\/span><\/span>their shared roots, particularly<\/span><\/span><\/span> from Eileen <\/span><\/span><\/span>played by Julia Dearden<\/span><\/span><\/span> and Gilly <\/span><\/span><\/span>played by Andrea Irving <\/span><\/span><\/span>– but <\/span><\/span><\/span>less so<\/span><\/span><\/span>with Jenny <\/span><\/span><\/span>played by Caoimhe Farren<\/span><\/span><\/span>, who left <\/span><\/span><\/span>years ago <\/span><\/span><\/span>and her daughter Muireann <\/span><\/span><\/span>played by Muireann <\/span><\/span><\/span>N\u00ed Fhaog\u00e1in,<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

who doesn\u2019t even have a <\/span><\/span><\/span>hint of a northern<\/span><\/span><\/span> Irish<\/span><\/span><\/span> accent. <\/span><\/span><\/span>Additional p<\/span><\/span><\/span>rogressive ideas such as veganism demonstrate a <\/span><\/span><\/span>huge <\/span><\/span><\/span>chasm between the two groups and yet Eileen comes into her own with sound advice.\u2028\u2028<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Lest we start wondering where male partners may be, bits of information come out in conversation and we get a picture of a family with a strong foundation that have secrets and foibles that sear to the soul. <\/span><\/span><\/span>T<\/span><\/span><\/span>his is a<\/span><\/span><\/span>n<\/span><\/span><\/span>entertaining <\/span><\/span><\/span>and provocative<\/span><\/span><\/span> slice of life family drama with a wry unexpected twist! <\/span><\/span><\/span>Highly recommended! 4 Stars!!<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

More Information
\nhttps:\/\/www.traverse.co.uk\/whats-on\/event\/consumed-festival-25<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Review by Jo Tomalin For All Events Consumed . Consumed by Karis Kelly and directed by Katie Posner is a World Premiere, produced by Paines Plough, Belgrade Theatre, Sheffield Theatres…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"yasr_overall_rating":4.1,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[965,960,966,956,893,964,958,957,963,967,959,961,935,962],"class_list":{"0":"post-110250","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-jo-tomalin","7":"tag-andrea-irving","8":"tag-belgrade-theatre","9":"tag-caoimhe-farren","10":"tag-consumed","11":"tag-edinburgh-fringe","12":"tag-julia-dearden","13":"tag-karis-kelly","14":"tag-katie-posner","15":"tag-lyric-theatre-belfast","16":"tag-muireann-ni-fhaogain","17":"tag-paines-plough","18":"tag-sheffield-theatre","19":"tag-traverse-theatre","20":"tag-womens-prize-for-playwriting-production"},"yasr_visitor_votes":{"stars_attributes":{"read_only":true,"span_bottom":"