JEAN McGlynn, founding member of Bare Space Theatre Company, is a powerful singer and actress. She revels in technical challenge and dramatic depth, concentrating on high octane work that showcases reach. Sondheim, Brecht and Weill are natural stomping ground.
Now she has created an original show in ‘Lily’ with Bare Space colleagues Mike Finneran and Noel Lennon. It premiers this weekend, Friday 21, Saturday 22 at Belltable Arts Centre, 8pm in conjunction with Music Theatre West.
McGlynn speaks of a “cycle of songs linking women – wives, mothers, lovers, daughters – with their relationships with sons, lovers, parent”. Regard each song reflecting a moment in life, those light-hearted, tender, sad, passionate, yearning, happy times when the heart pivots.
“Lily’ is a one woman show, directed by Mike, that came about through the song ‘Lily’ written by my brother Bob McGlynn,” she explains.
Ultimately, the realisation is that our relationships, those that work and are fun or those that cause pain, are essential to a rich inner world as well as a social one.
“Noel Lennon has reorchestrated each piece of music and put them in situations that link through Lily, who is a blank canvas for the personae in her songs. The four piece band is on stage with me as I wanted ‘Lily’ to be a very organic experience. The musicians play cello, accordion ? and piano”.
Knowing McGlynn’s intelligence on stage, we can expect to be moved. Book on www.belltable.ie.
