Theatre: It has its moments, but Room lacks real dimension

The songs by director Cora Bissett and Kathryn Joseph sound disappointingly generic

Fela Lufadeju, Taye Kassim Junaid-Evans and Witney White in Room

Room

By Emma Donoghue

Abbey Theatre, Dublin

Rating:***

Runs until July 22

In an early scene from Room, a woman is raped by her kidnapper while their terrified five-year-old son huddles inside a closet. She then gets out of bed and starts singing a ballad about pretending that the experience is actually happening to someone else. The set revolves, the lights flash and the overall effect is visually stunning – but also just ...