Terminus, a one-act play written by Mark O’Rowe, is a black comedy told through multiple monologues performed by the show’s three characters. Throughout this monologue series, each character helps paint the story of a dark, fateful night in Dublin that dramatically changes many lives. This production, presented by Jeb Beach and Associates, and directed by Shane Savage, is an interesting 90-minute storytelling experience that leaves you a little more on edge each time a character finishes their monologue and the next one begins.
The show’s venue, the intimate PAL Studio Theatre, is an excellent choice, offering a small, contained space that makes it easy to focus on the actors and their characters’ journeys. The play begins with a car accident and we see all three performers onstage, reacting to the accident. There’s an immediate blackout, and when the lights come up again, we’ve transported many hours earlier, looking into the narrative of Character A (Gigi Neil), a former school teacher now working at a call centre for distressed individuals. We later move onto the story of Character B (Siobhan Connors), a young woman planning on spending a quiet night at home, and then finally onto the story of Character C (director Shane Savage), a man hoping to pick up a woman at the bar.
Shane Savage, cast member and director, Terminus. Photo credit: Emma K Young.
Gigi Neil, cast member, Terminus. Photo credit: Emma K Young.
A embarks on a journey to track down one of the distressed women she talked to while working at the call centre. B ventures out of her home to meet friends for dinner and drinks, but her night takes a turn for the worst when her friends’ true intentions are revealed. And after C picks up a woman at the bar, we learn he’s a serial killer. To take things up another level, there’s a supernatural element as well, involving a demon and angels.
All the dialogue is in rhyme, so you have to really pay careful attention in order to catch everything that’s being said. But after a while, you get used to hearing the rhyming prose, and O’Rowe has written some moments of fun with his poetry, adding welcome moments of lightness to this otherwise heavy play.
The show’s plot is far fetched, but very interesting. And as the play went on, I found myself increasingly interested in each character’s story. At first, I couldn’t see how the characters’ stories could connect with each other’s, but I was very keen on finding out.
Siobhan Connors, cast member, Terminus. Photo credit: Emma K Young.
O’Rowe’s script does not disappoint. As the show goes on, we learn how the characters are related to each other, and I applaud O’Rowe’s creative vision. There are also a number of times when the characters feed us with more of their back story, which helps fill in gaps.
Gigi Neil is superb as A. She really draws us in with her honest, sensitive portrayal. Additionally, during the course of the play she mimics multiple characters with impressive skill, including the frightening bully Celine, a pathetic male ex-student, and a lowbrow bus driver. She offers great physical and vocal comedy in each instance.
Siobhan Connors is also strong as B. Like Neil, she delivers a fitting portrayal of yet another emotionally vulnerable character. There are a few times when her poor character finds herself in really wild situations. In these instances, Connors has to deliver long sections of exceedingly fast dialogue to match the urgency of the situations, and she pulls this all off nicely.
As C, Savage has a dark, domineering presence, which completely suits his character, as we learn more about him throughout the play. Savage also does a great job of using his physicality to help with telling his character’s story. His portrayal of C is both funny and intimidating, making his performance very fun to watch.
Jack Goodison’s sound design features numerous effects that adds nicely to the different stories. It’s remarkable that with a practically bare stage, and a few sound effects, the three actors are able to paint such a vivid, detailed account of a very twisted and eventful night. Terminus is a fun and unique theatrical experience that’s definitely worth seeing for the skillful storytelling on display.
Terminus, presented by Jeb Beach and Associates, runs until June 12, 2022 at the PAL Studio Theatre. Visit the Eventbrite site for ticket information.