THEATRE: SHINING CITY

The city is Dublin and its shine, lacklustre. Beneath the grey, a man (John) is haunted by the ghost of his newly deceased wife. To keep from going insane, he seeks the help of a therapist. Written by Irish playwright Conor McPherson, Shining City is easily the best play I’ve seen all year. Like that subtle line in a book that speaks only to you, McPherson’s words pull you in without your knowledge. Couple that with two brilliant leads – Laurence Coy playing John and Alan Dukes as Ian, his therapist – and you’ve got story telling at its best. Half the story is told through John’s honest to goodness monologues and the other half through Ian’s painful and awkward encounters, both gelled together by the bleakest of human loneliness. This is an exploration of a fragile subject matter conveyed with a self-deprecating sense of humour. And of course, there’s the case of that wandering ghost in a red coat.

Until Dec 19, SBW Stables Theatre, 10 Nimrod Street, Kings Cross, $23-$30, 8002 4772, griffintheatre.com.au