Showcased between September 12-15 at the Project Arts Centre, Sorry You Felt That Way is a timely, thought-provoking piece about the things we wish we didn’t know about our partners.
The play follows Emma, who has just moved into her partner Adam’s apartment, after only 6 months of being together. They are at different stages of life, Emma in her final year of college, Adam already in the middle of a successful law career. It’s Emma’s first night in the flat, and Adam is out at the cinema. Unannounced, Adam’s ex, Eloise, shows up at the flat, and tries to warn Emma about Adam’s toxic behaviour.
“Listening to the actors to-and-fro about cheating, transactional relationships and emotional abuse, I felt I wanted to get on stage, open a bottle of wine, and join their conversation”
The performance is staged in the round, on a set which simply holds a couch, a mat and a stool. the audience cannot help but be immersed in the world that is created by the two actors. I felt as though I was almost invading Emma’s personal space, just as Eloise did. Dressed in pink pyjamas and a fluffy dressing gown, Emma could have been anyone; a friend, a sister; or even myself. Listening to the actors to-and-fro about cheating, transactional relationships and emotional abuse, I felt I wanted to get on stage, open a bottle of wine, and join their conversation. Credit must be given to Butler’s incredible script, which deals with such heavy topics in a conversational colloquial manner. It is not difficult to see why this play won the Dublin Fringe’s Fishamble New Writing Award.
The stage set-up allowed me to glance across at fellow audience members, sharing looks of sympathy as we listened to Emma grapple with the challenges of a relationship with an older partner. The living room setting was excellent for conveying how toxic patterns of behaviour can be considered “normal” when one is living with them. I became invested in Emma’s struggle to make her relationship work, and felt the waves of her inner conflict throughout the play. When the lights went up, however, I was faced with the seriousness of the topics dealt with, and knew what the right thing for her to do was.
“This play is a must-see with a group of friends, as it is sure to provoke some important post-show conversations”
This is a play that is mandatory watching, no matter what stage of your life you are in. Forcing the audience to reflect on relationships past and present, I left the theatre feeling like I had just come out of a therapy session. The relatability of the characters, in particular Emma, who is at the same stage of life as me, is what made the performance so impactful to me. This play is a must-see with a group of friends, as it is sure to provoke some important post-show conversations.
