Blister review: A vulnerable, witty conversation with anxiety

Blister

The New Theatre

★★★★☆

Blister lends credence to the thesis that the best things come in small packages. Síofra O’Meara’s careful blend of comedy and catastrophe is only 45 minutes long, but in that time it packs a serious punch.

Linda (O’Meara) and Patrick (Ed Murphy) are anxious, and it is affecting their lives. This disembodied spectre haunts their relationship, causing a variety of misunderstandings, mishaps and misfortune.

O’Meara’s insightful and sharp writing illuminates the impact of anxiety through careful and genuinely funny representation. Although the programme states that Blister will make you happy that you are not Linda and Patrick, in these characters lies the opportunity to see the most vulnerable parts of oneself.

O’Meara and Murphy give skilful performances that, coupled with Simon Geaney’s solid directorial hand, create a delightfully strange world that draws the audience in. Shane Gill’s lighting design assists in expanding this space, manifesting something dynamic from Jess Fitzsimons Kane’s simple set design.