Two scribes meet in a cafe in Liam McCarthy's new play at Chancery Lane.
Chancery Lane
Mar 25-29
I caught A Talent for Lying by Liam McCarthy at the end of its run in Chancery Lane.
The play sees two scribes, Aidan and Lucy, meeting in a cafe. She's on the verge of emigrating and he's on the cusp of attempting to convince her to stay. It departs from its naturalist surroundings - perfectly fitted for the wine bar environs of the gorgeous Chancery Lane venue - to imaginings of their lives together.
McCarthy's scripts zips along to consider the preservation of ideas in art and, more hopefully, how artifice can push reality in certain directions.
Sarah Bradley's direction has its inconsistencies though. Fussy emphasis on a thudding sound design and ineffective visual projections take priority over attention to her actors. Darren Yorke chews the role for humour and, more importantly, the sweet innocence of an introvert. When he jumps to his feet to chaperone his companion through a fictional imagining, though, the confidence in his character feels like a leap. In addition, Sinead O'Brien's turn feels uncertain, bearing teeth at times and then downplaying elsewhere.
What did everyone else think?
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