Eva O'Connor's latest masterpiece, 'For Dolores', is a gripping exploration of the intense, all-consuming bonds between women – a relationship so deep it can veer perilously close to obsession. The Mick Lally Theatre in Galway is currently abuzz with audience members utterly entranced by this powerful new play from Fishamble Theatre Company.
Meet Mo (Catriona Faint), the spiky Glaswegian firecracker, and Réaltín (Lara McDonnell), her Dubliner counterpart – initially presented as a 'chosen family' in a therapy session. As their story unwinds, tracing back to their hilarious university freshers days in Edinburgh, a vivid picture of an all-consuming friendship emerges. O'Connor masterfully conveys the tangled web of affection, reliance, admiration, and desire that often characterises these intense young women's friendships – with Réaltín herself describing it as “the wild magnet pull of us”, highlighting the almost magnetic attraction that initially drew them together.
The contrasting personalities of Mo, the politically engaged Glaswegian, and Réaltín, the middle-class Dubliner, created an electric dynamic, brought to life by Faint's and McDonnell's passionate performances. Director Jim Culleton expertly reveals through subtle gestures and moments Réaltín's potential obliviousness to the differing intensities of their feelings – the distinction between loving someone and being 'in love'. While these nuances might have been overlooked during their wild university years, the emotional landscape shifts dramatically post-college.
The tension escalates significantly when Réaltín announces her engagement to a wealthy Finnish man, setting off catastrophic consequences for the friendship. The narrative cleverly alternates between competing monologues, expressive dance sequences, and sharp, humorous dialogue – what begins as a leisurely exposition gradually tightens its focus around the events of a single pivotal night. Denis Clohessy's sound design effectively underscores the rising tension.
The climax, a violent incident at a party fuelled by alcohol, sex, and jealousy, is rendered all the more vivid by its indirect description – leaving the audience to piece together the harrowing events. Alyson Cummins' minimalist set design features a raised platform resting on a bed of discarded bottles, books, and junk, symbolically representing the concealed 'detritus' of their lives. O'Connor ensures that the audience remains transfixed, drawing them deeply into the raw and often uncomfortable truths of the characters' lives.