Mustard is about a young Irish woman who goes looking for excitement and love in London but instead finds only men who diminish her sense of self. When her latest romance with a competitive cyclist fails, some long held obsessive compulsive behaviours, centring around Coleman’s mustard paste, come into play in an attempt to salve her anguish.

Written and performed by Eva O’Connor, and directed by Hildegard Ryan, this play has been performed in Ireland and Scotland where it won several awards. The writing is tight, strong, and poetic in places. There are sexual references but these are never gratuitous. As an actor O’Connor swings easily from dancing with grace and abandon at a nightclub to the despair of rejection and the messiness of an unusual addiction. Scenes back in an Irish rural village, and the conversations between E and her Pentecostal mother and others in the community add some humour and poignancy. Jibes around English versus Irish sensibilities are also humorous and add a hint of the political, but this is almost an aside, never a central theme.

As well as the rich language of the script there are some striking visual scenes to watch out for. The symbolism of dirty washing being aired is one effective visual which I found carried more weight once I had left the theatre.

O’Connor’s writing and her portrayal of this damaged and passionate character is powerful, making Mustard a standout play that should be on your list to check out this Fringe.