play reading: Bridge between kingdoms

Living in rural Ireland, Kiki is a young woman navigating love, intimacy and self-preservation following a sexual assault and a considerable loss. Through a series of relationships, from a charismatic musician to a intellectual diplomat, Kiki confronts her trauma as she attempts to trust again. When Kiki finally meets Luke, an affectionate artist, she fears the burden of her history goes against his light-hearted and open nature.

Based on lived experience, the narrative weaves between past and present, love and loss, as Kiki tries to reconcile intimacy with survival. She wrestles with the paradox that love is both a balm and a potential source of pain, questioning whether she deserves or can sustain it.

The play becomes an unflinching portrait of a survivor’s internal negotiations: how trauma shapes trust, how desire is both reclaimed and endangered, and how the heart becomes both a fortress and a yearning bridge between two people.

Written by Ronika Merl.