Overview

• Rosie Sheehy delivers a standout performance as Billie, an autistic sister navigating family tensions in a dilapidated Irish farmhouse.
• Chris O'Dowd impresses as Dermot, the eldest brother whose return home disrupts the fragile family dynamic.
• The play explores themes of mysticism and family conflict, with Uncle Pierre proposing a spiritual retreat and Lydia seeking folk magic for lost love.
• Critics praise Rae Smith’s minimalist stage design and McPherson’s direction, though some note pacing issues in the storytelling structure.
• The Brightening Air draws clear inspiration from Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya and Brian Friel, blending Irish folklore with emotional depth.