Trust And Memory

Making its world premiere at the Royal Court Theatre, gripping domestic thriller The Briar Patch is a new entry in playwright Ciara Elizabeth Smyth’s canon, following the acclaim of her breakout play Lie Low. Exploring just how fragile human trust can become when those close to us begin to unravel, Olivier-nominated artistic director David Byrne directs this production fronted by Olivier-winner Juliet Stevenson (Truly Madly Deeply), who stars as a woman fighting to distinguish reality from delusion. With Smyth’s most recent play winning Best Theatre Script from the Writers Guild of Ireland, touring internationally, and being turned into an opera with the Irish National Opera, the Dublin playwright’s star is well and truly rising, and is set to continue with this searing new work.

What Is It ABOUT?

Dara has gotten used to dealing with the fog inside her own mind; hallucinations, forgetting conversations, or general empty spaces in her head that feel like they should be occupied. She’s accepted it all as part of her daily life. But after the arrest of a family friend, the questions she wants answering may end up destroying the very foundations of her world.