Pineapple

Droichead Arts Centre. Apr 29-May 1 8.30pm 041-9833946 droghedaartsfestival.ie; Draíocht, Blanchardstown. May 5-6 8pm €15/€12 01-8852622 draiocht.ie; Axis, Ballymun May 11-14 8pm €15/€12 01-8832100 axis-ballymun.ie

“Some people don’t know how to be happy,” goes the brusque counsel of one character in Phillip McMahon’s new play, a fresh piece of writing with an ageless concern. At its centre is Paula, a young, unmarried mother of two, whose life, like her flat in a Ballymun tower block, seems to be in precarious stasis. Where Paula carries the deadweight of responsibilities, her 16-year-old sister, Roxanna, is reckless with freedom – and just home from a clinic in London as a result. The question at the heart of the play, premiered by Calipo Theatre Company at the Drogheda Arts Festival and followed with a quick Dublin tour, is whether romance is still possible in a world coarsened into cynicism.

McMahon wandered through tower blocks with his debut, Danny and Chantelle (Still Here)leaving his ears open to the lived detail and sharp wit of everyday speech.

Yet Pineappleshows a keener feel for both community and theatricality. Neighbours call to each other from above and below, ringing with insight and humour, like a chorus, while the action pivots between kitchen-sink realism and abstract wastelands. David Horan directs a talented cast, including Caoilfhionn Dunne (left), through McMahon's lyricism and psychological detail, his tragedy and comedy, in a production you won't want to miss.

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