REVIEW: KITTY IN THE LANE by Áine Ryan at Jack Studio Theatre 2 - 13 May 2023

‘A dark tragedy that strikes straight into your heart’ ★★★★ ½

Isolation, death, betrayal - to take on such heavy themes and keep an audience with you every step of the way is no mean feat, but KITTY IN THE LANE manages to be both unflinching and captivating as it tackles all these topics and more through the eyes of one lone woman, mixing dashes of comedy with stirring moments of bombastic energy to heighten narrative twists that eventually reveal a dark tragedy that strikes straight into your heart.

At the center of all this lies the eponymous Kitty (played by the writer herself, Áine Ryan), a woman denied everything she needs in life, whether that’s love and understanding or an existence independent of her father’s farm which squats deep in the Irish countryside. The curtain opens on Kitty all dressed up and ready to leave for the night, gloating over her terminally ill and bedridden father as she counts the minutes until her boyfriend Robert will ferry her far away to a beauty pageant for the night, a beacon in Kitty’s otherwise dim life dampened by the fact that Robert is taking far longer than he should to arrive...

As her Prince Charming and carriage fail to materialise Kitty stews deeper and deeper in her sorrows and anxieties, first in defiance to her father then in self-pity and finally loudly and violently, raging at the world outside. Throughout, Kitty stalks from one corner of her home to another, across an eye-catching set designed by Constance Comparot which is stunningly brought to life in conjunction with wonderful dynamic lighting that allows this decaying country home to easily morph into vivid vignettes from Kitty’s life.

The lighting, designed by Alex Forey, deserves calling out twice. I was excited as each scene progressed just to see how it would shift next; transforming Kitty’s home into a pub then a nightclub, a lonely country road illuminated by a car’s headlights then a misty morning hillltop, all executed flawlessly in cooperation with impeccable, haunting sound design from Florence Hand. Purely from a production standpoint this play is a knockout and stands right alongside the very best that any London theatre has to offer. Director Jack Reardon is to be much commended for coordinating this team’s exceptional talents.

But of course, all this would be for nothing if the single performer of the night didn’t make use of her excellent behind the curtain support, and Ryan delivers a breath-taking performance to match. Everything from her movements to her posture and accent shift in perfect pace with the narrative as we see Kitty herself work through immense pain, rarely successfully, while effortlessly bringing to life the many absent figures who have helped create the woman we see coming to pieces before us. And make no mistake this is a woman’s story through and through, the sort rarely seen in an Irish or rural context but delivered here with a ferocity that makes Kitty one of the most complete and compelling dramatic characters I’ve encountered in any play this year. Like all great characters, I’ve no doubt her memory will stick with me for a while yet.

If there’s one bump in the road however it’s the final section of the play where significant reveals occur in rapid succession, frankly too rapid. Of course, the perfect production values don’t miss a beat, and Ryan’s performance is as arresting as ever, but the story that’s being told fails to completely stick its landing at key points. Critical elements are introduced into Kitty’s life with vital and tragic consequences for the narrative, but the most important among them feel present and gone in the blink of the eye and lack the earthy grounding that had fleshed out everything that came before. A play as wonderfully composed as this is unfortunately dragged down by these, somewhat anemic, moments, but I should stress this dissatisfaction is analytical, the sort that nags slightly at the edge of your awareness, and my eyes and ears and gut were captivated even through these weaker patches.

Because ultimately, it’s a brilliant journey: a middle chapter in the life of a complex and tragic heroine in which we receive rich detail of her past, are left in no doubt as to the calamity of her present and will inevitably wonder and agonize over her future. It’s near-perfect theatre, and if you have even a passing interest in any of its topics make sure you see it as soon as you can.

Read our interview with Áine Ryan here

Images: Eamonn B. Shanahan of Capture With Pride.

REVIEW: Kitty in The Lane showing in The Jack Studio, 2nd May – 13th May 2023

Box office: https://brockleyjack.co.uk/jackstudio-entry/kitty-in-the-lane/

Written by Áine Ryan

Directed by Jack Reardon

Produced by Studio Perform Theatre and Xinyou Zhang

Reviewed by Harry Conway