Troubled

Suzy Cruthers’ one-woman show, aptly titled Troubled, is delivered in direct conversation with the audience and explores the effects of the Troubles on a child, Alice, growing up in Northern Ireland. Cruthers forges a genuine connection with the audience from the moment they enter the theatre, offering (very welcome) tea, biscuits, and, later, blankets.
The story unfolds through scenes that oscillate between flashbacks to Alice's childhood and her current troubled adult self, who is grappling with the emotional fallout of her early experiences and attempting to understand, accept, and perhaps even heal her adult identity. As Alice struggles to form a real connection with her new love, Tim, and to accept the diagnosis of a personality disorder, the non-chronological storytelling resonates with the way survivors of childhood trauma often process the past: in fragmented pieces, revealed only in increments.
References to contemporary culture are woven throughout, allowing the audience to track shifts in time without the need for explicit signposting. The writing clearly leads us into and out of flashbacks, while the sensitive use of real film footage from the era grounds the piece in lived history, bearing witness to the fact that this is not just one woman’s story, but a reflection of a generation’s experience.
Given the subject matter, the show could easily have been a difficult watch. Yet the frequent use of humour, often laugh-out-loud funny, offer moments of release. This is partly due to confident, well-crafted writing, but also suggests the hand of a skilled director, guiding the seamless shifts between heavy emotional moments and bursts of almost caricatured comedy. Cruthers delivers a masterclass in performance, maintaining effortless control over this demanding one-woman piece.
Troubled is not only the story of an individual, it also shines a light on urgent social issues, such as the chronic underfunding of mental health services and the lack of awareness around the long-term impact of conflict on a generation. This is a must-see for anyone with an interest in the Troubles, mental health, solo performance, or simply good theatre that doesn’t so much break the fourth wall as perform in a space where the fourth wall was never built.
Woohoo moment: “If you are lonely, I see you.” This vulnerable, direct connection with the audience was beautiful.