Synopsis

A cramped flat in Ireland, where the walls seem to whisper and the wardrobe looms ominously

Faye, a woman teetering on the edge of sanity, hasn’t slept in three weeks. Haunted by a past assault, she convinces her estranged brother Naoise to partake in a twisted form of exposure therapy. As Faye attempts to reclaim control through increasingly unsettling role-play scenarios, Naoise reluctantly dons a duck mask and steps into her nightmares. But when he confesses to his own sexual misconduct allegations, the lines between victim and perpetrator, reality and delusion begin to blur.

Smyth’s Lie Low is a visceral, surrealist dive into the aftermath of trauma and the depths of familial dysfunction. Through a series of taut, increasingly volatile exchanges punctuated by dreamlike “refrains,” the play unpacks themes of memory, consent, and the insidious nature of gaslighting. Dark humour undercuts moments of raw vulnerability as Faye’s grip on reality becomes ever more tenuous. The central wardrobe serves as both a literal and metaphorical repository for buried secrets, while the recurring duck motif adds an element of absurdist menace. Lie Low challenges audiences to question the nature of truth and the lengths we’ll go to protect ourselves from our own demons.