Birds of Passage in the Half Light @ Gilded Balloon Teviot

At the opening of Birds of Passage in the Half Light, the latest work from award-winning playwright Kat Woods, a lone performer changes into her costume behind a thin veil of black curtain. Our protagonist, ‘Her,’ is en route to confession, although what unfolds over the next hour is not someone asking for their sins to be absolved. Instead, it’s a bold, brave and ferocious tale of generational trauma with a stellar performance from Fiona McGeown at its centre. 

In this solo show, McGeown portrays a woman coming back to her small town to visit her dying mother’s bedside and while simultaneously taking on the role of Mother Earth. The twin narratives detail the centuries-long mistreatment of Irish women by the Catholic church and the toxic legacy that still impacts women today. 

The darkly comic play, produced by Tinderbox Theatre Company and directed with creative verve by Patrick J O’Reilly, is partly inspired by the horrors of the Tuam Mother and Baby Home, where the bodies of 796 babies and young children were found buried in a sewage tank. Woods has never been afraid to make thought-provoking theatre – tackling subjects like consent, poverty, and class – and Birds of Passage in the Half Light is no exception. 

Fiona McGeown’s performance is mesmerising. She takes Woods’ searing dialogue and brings it to life in a truly captivating way. You struggle to take your eyes off her, even when the expertly-placed animation by Fergus Kelly fills the backdrop. At times funny, fury-inducing, and audacious, Birds of Passage in the Half Light is a piece of theatre that will stay with you long after you leave the venue.

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Birds of Passage in the Half Light, Gilded Balloon Teviot (Dining Room), until 29 Aug (not 22), 1pm, £10-12