Consumed: A Family Feast of Secrets and Strife ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Karis Kelly’s Consumed, winner of the 2022 Women’s Prize for Playwriting, is a powerful exploration of family dynamics, trauma, and rivalry that unfolds during what’s supposed to be a simple birthday party. Four women from different generations of the same family gather in Gilly’s kitchen — a place that quickly becomes a battleground of hidden pain and unresolved conflicts.

The play centers around Gilly (Andrea Irvine), a well-meaning but strained mother desperate to keep the peace, and her sharp-tongued mother, Granny Eileen (Julia Dearden), whose biting humor and tough demeanor bring both laughs and discomfort. The tension between them, alongside Gilly’s daughter Jenny (Caoimhe Farren) and granddaughter Muireann (Muireann Ni Fhaogáin), reveals layers of generational trauma and female rivalry that feel almost like characters themselves, constantly vying for attention.

Katie Posner’s energetic direction keeps the pace steady, while Beth Duke’s haunting sound design adds an ominous undertone to the family’s uneasy interactions. Lily Arnold’s beautifully detailed set — a cluttered kitchen filled with domesticity and underlying chaos — perfectly frames the simmering drama.

The absence of male characters is striking, emphasizing the complex power struggles and emotional battles between the women as they navigate their place in the family and home. Muireann’s character leans into contemporary “woke” stereotypes, while Jenny wrestles with balancing work and personal life, adding texture to their relationships.

As the play builds, we wait for a moment of clarity — a reveal that might explain the strange behaviors and simmering violence beneath the surface. When it comes, it doesn’t provide answers but instead deepens the mystery, leaving the family and their home fractured in the final moments.

Consumed is a slow burn that avoids clichés, shining a light on how trauma passes through generations and how family history shapes identity. Though the plot sometimes feels as cluttered as Gilly’s kitchen, the emotional depth and performances make it a compelling watch.