Hot Mess, play by Una Nolan

By Tatiane Reiner journalist, writer, actress and radio host based in Dublin.

Currently on stage at Smock Alley Theatre, Hot Mess, written by Ella Hickson and directed by Úna Ní Nualláin, offers an honest and quietly striking look at family bonds and the realities of modern relationships.

Produced by TeoChroí Productions & Muirenn Lyons, the play centres on twins Polo and Twitch, played by Fiachra Corkery and Molly Mew, whose lives are forever connected when one gives his heart to the other. The premise is simple yet powerful: what does it really mean to give part of yourself to someone you love? From that starting point, the story reflects on family loyalty, emotional responsibility and the complicated ways people remain tied to one another.

The world around them is brought to life by Laura McAleenan and Ross Fitzpatrick, who play Jacks and Billy, adding further layers to the relationships that orbit the twins. Together, the four actors create a dynamic ensemble that moves between intimacy, tension and moments of unexpected humour.

Alongside the central sibling relationship, Hot Mess also captures the language and tensions of contemporary love. Situationships, romantic uncertainty, emotional distancing and the marks left by past trauma appear in conversations that feel recognisable to many navigating relationships today. The script balances these themes with humour that emerges from the awkwardness and contradictions of modern dating and friendship.

The production carries a theatrical style influenced by traditions associated with Bertolt Brecht and Antonin Artaud. Brecht challenged theatrical realism by encouraging audiences to observe human behaviour with a critical distance, while Artaud’s Theatre of Cruelty called for a more visceral and emotionally charged stage experience. In Hot Mess, these influences appear in the acting and staging, where moments of heightened emotion sit beside quieter passages that allow the audience to absorb the characters’ inner conflicts.

The performances favour honesty over theatrical polish, presenting the characters in a raw and direct way. By the end of the evening, the play leaves audiences with a simple but unsettling thought:

If love asks for your heart… Would you give it?