How does one express themselves without being able to speak fluidly?

The Words Are There tells the story about Mick and Trish, their meeting, relationship, the most important moment of their lives, but with the underlying issue of domestic abuse. Mick himself suffers from a stutter and so we see the impact this relationship has on bringing him out as a person and then shutting him back down.

This piece is fascinating. Using only sound cues and music, The Words Are There is a fully physical theatre production with only props to help us along the way. It is fast paced, intricate and full of energy, even at times of stillness. At times this is a little hard to keep up with and also a mystery to how Ronan Dempsey manages to keep going in this one man production.

While there in minimal narrative, with our reliance on the sound cues and the physicality, we are able to imagine our own scenes for Mick and Trish – triggers for the good and triggers for the bad are all available that we cannot help but get swept into the drama.

It seems comical when Dempsey makes Trish out of household items – but how he interacts with her and makes her move, we soon forget she is just an object and really believe in her and her personality.

The production is slow starting but somehow this works into bringing us to curve balls and climaxes. It feels like a build-up and we enjoy the ride; getting to know these two characters and developing love/hate feelings towards them.

The Words Are There is an energetic and emotional piece. Slow to start, we do engage intimately in these two characters and our feelings immediately change with the theatricality of the narrative.