Cyprus Avenue by David Ireland with Stephen Rea

Looking for a dark play during these dark days, "Cyprus Avenue"  would be up your alley.  Brilliantly written by David Ireland   this is a story of one man's descent into insanity born of inbred hatred by Protestants in Belfast towards Catholics in Ireland.  The mayhem unfolds through Eric's (a tour-de-force Stephen Rea) sessions with his psychologist Bridget (Ronke Adekoliego) and builds to a violent crescendo that is viscerally abhorrent.  Bridget registers Eric's racist, sexist prejudice towards her.   We get an inkling of an Archie Bunker mentality.  Though Eric doth protest too much he's not racist he riles against being called Irish instead of British.  He's appalled & angered by Bridget's assertion she's British.  Bridget assures Eric he's in a safe place to say anything and asks him to tell her what happened.  Bridget disappears into the background as Eric talks about the the traumatic events that begin at a joyous time in his household.  Eric's daughter Julie (Amy Molly) brings her infant daughter to visit him & her mother, Bernie (Andrea Irvine).  Bernie is ecstatic with happiness but Eric acts  adversely to holding baby Marymay nor concedes how wonderful she is.  His peculiar response to his granddaughter grow more extreme.  He asserts the baby is in fact the political head of Ireland and paints a beard & places spectacles on her face to prove his point.  Eric cruelly offends his daughter wife.  Bernie banishes him from their home.  Whilst he's away from home he finds kindred spirits, whether real or imagined, who share his extremist views.  Fueled with liquor & rage for the loss of his loyalist, cultural identity he returns home.  Once home he commits unfathomable atrocities.  The writing and acting are brilliant.  Although, it's hard to reconcile how someone as deranged as Eric wouldn't have alerted family members to have sought professional help or protection.  The political themes of racism, prejudice and supremacist tribalism are hammered into our skulls. This powerful play holds up a wicked mirror to our divisive society and self-destructive anathema directed towards anyone who looks or thinks differently or is perceived as desecrating one's perceived righteous identity.  "Cyprus Avenue" was awarded Best New Play at the Irish Time Awards & James Tait Black Prize for Drama in 2017.  This is a play that will shock you into reckoning with today's inhumane justifications for hatred.  I cannot conceive of a more potent play.  It packs a powerhouse punch during this nightmarish time of global pandemic when the world should all be coming together.