A simple story, well told

It centres on the lives of Iggy and Gerry, two Belfast labourers who have lived their adult lives on the mainland and whose flames are beginning to flicker.

Ian McElhinney and Karl Johnson put in two captivating performances as the two ageing ex-pats pondering past regrets in the realisation they've probably missed the boat for good.

John and Dotty, played by Conor MacNeill and Alice O'Connor, are haunting presences from the men's pasts. They have limited stage time, but seize their moments in the limelight to deliver very powerful performances.

With no interval and a total running time of 80 minutes, the play maintains a great intensity, broken only by the occasional incision of black comedy.

The Absence of Woman contains some great observations on how absence makes the heart grow fonder and distance makes the mind play tricks. The Lyric Theatre production runs until Saturday, February 27 in the Elmwood Hall then goes on a tour of the province.