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Consumed - An explosion of generational humour and hurt

  • Writer: Margaret Mather
    Margaret Mather
  • Sep 5
  • 2 min read
Anger flares. Photo by Pamela Raith.
Anger flares. Photo by Pamela Raith.

Consumed written by Karis Kelly, directed by Katie Posner . A Paines Plough, Belgrade Theatre, Sheffield Theatres and Women’s Prize for Playwriting production, in association with the Lyric Belfast playing at the Belgrade Theatre from 3 to 6 September.

Review by Margaret Mather.



This play is set in a kitchen in Northern Ireland where four generations of women come together for the matriarch’s 90th birthday.


What follows, is mayhem, hurt, distrust and death. The Great Grandmother (played by Julia Dearden) is superb in her role as head of the family. She is funny, swears a lot, and doesn’t care, tells the truth whether the others want to hear it or not. But... there is a dark unfathomable side to her, one that is her story alone to tell. A brilliant performance by Julia.


Prize winning play, Consumed. Photo by Pamela Raith.
Prize winning play, Consumed. Photo by Pamela Raith.

Andrea Irvine plays a believable daughter and skivvy to the matriarch. She plays the part of a woman who is not in control and hides her problems by bulk buying food and will not accept that there is anything wrong.


The third generation (played by Caoimhe Farren) also has her problems and has turned to drink to solve hers. Her performance is truly a masterpiece of humour and horror. She finds out that her daddy is dead and recoils in horror at his demise.


The youngest is played by (Muireann Ni Fhaogain) she just wants to save the world.


At the Belgrade this week. Photo by Pamela Raith.
At the Belgrade this week. Photo by Pamela Raith.

The story is centred on these four characters and jumps from toilet humour to bitter resentment. Each generation feels hard done by from the generation above them. There is a theme of hopelessness and failure running through the play passed down from generation to generation. The ending was a bit ambiguous but it did not detract from the rest of the play.


Consumed by Karis Kelly was the winner of the Women’s Prize for the Playwriting 2022. Her play is a pitch-black and twisted comedy of dysfunctional family dynamics, generational trauma and national boundaries.


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