Set in 1980s rural Ireland, THE BRIGHTENING AIR brings a fractured family together, where the past hangs thick in the air and the future feels uncertain. On the family farm, Billie (Rosie Sheehy) and her brother Stephen (Brian Gleeson) work the land and keep the house running. Their sister-in-law, Lydia (Hannah Morrish), though estranged from their older brother Dermot (Chris O’Dowd), has never broken free – her heart still tangled in a relationship that came undone long ago. When Dermot rocks up, whisky in hand and younger girlfriend, Freya (Aisling Kearns) in tow, his disruptive presence causes tensions to rise with old resentments unearthed and new ones discovered. 

McPherson leaves much space for stillness throughout, with the play feeling full of emotional texture. The writing often focuses on moments of raw tension, quiet longing and unresolved pain with wry humour peppered throughout, however it sometimes feels as though we never arrive at a conclusive or fully rounded point. We’re introduced to Billie’s experience of autism and her delicate connection with local lad Brendan (Eimhin Fitzgerald Doherty), a regretful devotion from Lydia to Dermot, despite his dismissive attitude and finally the arrival of their old uncle, an ex-priest played by Seán McGinley who has been banished from the church and arrives at the house with his housekeeper, Elizabeth (Derbhle Crotty). With these parallel storylines running throughout, there is a sense of some of these plot points drifting without fully landing. 

Despite this, the script is sharp, nuanced and explorative of themes surrounding death, memory, faith, fable and longing, leaning into elements of Irish mysticism. One line in particular stays with me, ‘You’ll remember how much of living is really just forgetting.’ There are some beautiful musical interludes on the piano that echo the often melancholic nature of the narrative. The cast is brilliant, with Rosie Sheehy giving a standout performance as Billie, bringing the character’s inner world to the surface and showing her devotion and deep connection to her siblings, in particular Stephen (I may have teared up a little at the end of her final scene). 

THE BRIGHTENING AIR is on at The Old Vic Theatre until 14th June 2025, 2:30pm / 7:30pm. Off peak tickets £13-£75 / peak tickets £15–£77. https://www.oldvictheatre.com/stage/the-brightening-air/.

Photos by Manuel Harlan.