Edinburgh fringe review: Good With Faces — a tense two-hander about guilt and power
A new psychological drama, Good With Faces, is being staged at the Edinburgh Fringe, depicting a social worker's visit to a new single mother that spirals into a battle for control. The Guardian's reviewer praised the production highly.
A new psychological thriller titled Good With Faces is running at Summerhall as part of the Edinburgh Fringe until 31 August. The play is written and directed by Oisín Kearney, previously known for co-creating the 2018 fringe hit My Left Nut with Michael Patrick, which later became a TV adaptation — the reviewer suggests this new work could follow a similar path.
The production is a two-hander. Social worker Hegarty (Patrick McBrearty) films a conversation with Garrick (Clodagh Mooney Duggan), a recently single mother, in her hastily tidied living room. The visit was triggered by a bruise found on her son, and is initially framed as a routine, internal procedural discussion. As the scene unfolds, it becomes clear Hegarty already knows the answers to the questions he's asking, causing Garrick to grow increasingly unsettled. The power dynamic then reverses, leaving Hegarty struggling to explain himself.
Tension in every detail
According to the review, every word choice and even small physical gestures — such an inappropriate joke or an ambiguous touch — can shift the balance of power between the two characters, fueling new suspicion. Katie Richardson's sound design adds a discordant undercurrent, contrasted with tense pauses that let uneasy moments build.
The play avoids being preachy, instead offering a nuanced look at the pressures of parenting and care work amid difficult economic conditions, and how easily professional and personal boundaries can blur. Through everyday objects like a glass of milk or nail clippings, the production builds an unsettling atmosphere while addressing themes of blame, shame and different forms of abuse.
