Review: Never Fully Here (Union Theatre)

Review by Cavan Knights

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

A physical theatre, one-woman show that explores the mind of a German immigrant whose life is “as permanent as pencil… never pen”, Never Fully Here at Union Theatre explores a woman who lives out of her bag and always packs lightly, never knowing when her journey continues. Moana Doll, playing the role of the unnamed Woman, allows audiences to live as active spectators, conscious that we are made to feel as though we, ourselves, are judging her. 

Written between 2024 and 2025, Never Fully Here sits contextually relevant with today’s world. On the movement of Brexit in January 2020, there was a cultural divide. The performance stands to educate us all about this reality (on a personal level) and the conspicuous mistreatment hard-working, tax-paying immigrants face. It speaks of how a feeling of home and belonging is never permanent, but rather in promise; No matter how hard you work or how much you love the country.

Doll has also written the play, which was clear through her performance in how her passion for this topic bleeds through her in a story we absorb, like an argument we know we will never win. The script was cleverly constructed: planting the seed of impermanence through humour and integrity, while the performance was broken up in a yearly linear fashion, with The Beatles ‘Twist and Shout’ backing track playing in between years. The construction of the narrative allows us to understand the character's devotion to England. We watch her relationship with the culture, aesthetic, and history grow more intimate, yet it is always one-sided. A country she adores doesn’t seem to reciprocate that love. Instead, she is alienated for her accent and/or her looks, treated as stupid, like an untamed animal that will never ‘Truly’ get it. 

Directed by Natasha Markou, we get a sense of exploration, delivering a clear shift of perspective vs spectating. The opening to the show proved incredibly engaging, as Moana Doll is with the audience before the show has even begun. As the doors close, she stands and observes her surroundings before beginning, establishing her setting with clear execution.

As clear direction as this show had, not all moments landed as well. There was a subtle lack of exploring the space that risked feeling static at times, and for a piece advertised as physical theatre, this also felt lacking. I offer this question: We want to see through the mind of this woman - to drown in the feeling of never truly belonging. Could the physical exploration have been more unsettling or more overwhelming as an audience? This is a chance to educate and even provoke, so it needs to be memorable.

One aspect that cannot be faulted is Moana Doll’s fantastic acting, effortlessly delivering humour through her performance. Her physicality was open, yet fragile and somewhat vulnerable. The clarity in her voice and intention stood prominently throughout as her journey took us through. A glare she gave the audience when doing day-to-day things caused a sense of subconscious judgement, addressing issues such as how making a tea the wrong way could cause her to be ridiculed by the nation, cementing the theme that the things we don’t think twice about can be more pressured than you would think.

The minimalist set worked well, giving an understanding of location, but also contextually about ease of change. Strong lighting was also used, most notably in the well-lit ‘work’ scenes, where a polychromatic explosion of lighting juxtaposes the reality of work. The voiceover moments highlighted the harsh truth of matters and how they cannot be denied. With actual accounts of how people have been alienated purely based on their backgrounds, Never Fully Here was a true tribute to all those who preach indifference, and that message was very clear.

Never Fully Here is an insightful performance that educates through humour, relatability and real-life accounts of alienation. It is a playful production that treated the audience as active spectators, rather than allies, allowing them to become aware and conscious. The clear thematic focus of a home being advertised as a place you love and feel welcome, but a relationship you feel with a home may never be reciprocated, while a home is never guaranteed in permanence. 

Never Fully Here played at Union Theatre as part of the ONE-ACT Festival on 19th May.