Writer & Director: Lilwen Faulkner
Reviewer: Christine Stanton
“Co-Dependent Connections“
3 / 5
Joey and Mac have been best friends since primary school – Mac is now married with children, Joey hooks up with someone new each week, often leading him back to Mac’s house with a tale of despair and disappointment.
Tonight, it’s 9pm on Halloween, Joey’s (Killian Thomas Lefèvre) BDSM hook-up didn’t quite go to plan, his blood covered face and broken nose are not part of a costume, much to Mac’s (Jacob Freda) horror. Quickly ushering him in, the pair are determined not to wake up Mac’s family, who are all upstairs and fast asleep. This isn’t the first time Joey has arrived bloody and broken, and it probably won’t be the last. Mac is used to cleaning up Joey’s wounds, both physically and emotionally, glad to be needed and just as dependent on their friendship as Joey is.
Faulkner’s storyline is an interesting insight into friendship, addiction, internalised trauma and co-dependency, but it feels like an introduction to a story, rather than a fully formed narrative. Throughout the 60 minute runtime, Joey’s visit serves as a way to establish the pairs friendship, giving the audience their backstory, their progression and the struggles that they’ve had in the past. Mac bullying Joey back in year one is the strange event that sparked off the beginning of their friendship, and Joey introspectively relates that to his addiction to pain and his thought process that if people are mean to him, the love follows shortly after. Mac is equally as open and reflective, realising that his saviour complex is possibly down to righting that wrong he had caused over 25 years ago. It’s tender and touching that they’re so emotionally in touch with their feelings, but it’s hard not to want more from the show itself to move past the initial introduction of their friendship.
Some interesting revelations are made – Joey doesn’t really know Mac’s child, has a tenuous relationship with his wife and is very surprised that Mac is on the same anti-depressants as he is. Considering the pair are supposed to be best friends, have frequent evenings similar to this one, and are clearly not shy or unable to communicate freely with each other, these indications of an apparent disconnect between them doesn’t feel fully realised with the friendship that we’re presented with. The differences between them are entertaining though – Mac’s vanilla vs Joey’s hedonistic lifestyles elicit some humorous conversations between the two as they try to find some common ground on the subject together.
Lefèvre’s bloody and brash entrance is brilliantly impactful, the moment he bursts through the door, the audience are intrigued by him and what has happened. He plays Joey with a quiet confidence, who’s vulnerabilities are never far from the surface. Freda is gentle and measured, giving Mac a calming presence which makes it clear why he’s the port of call after another one of Joey’s troublesome situations. A good starting point for a storyline, that just needs expanding on a little more to better and further highlight the themes explored, and give the audience something more to connect with.
Runs until 15th September 2026
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