By Rose Rushe
Photo: Ian Collins
THE mysterious workings of a big, beautiful marionette and of City of Culture’s influence on artists inform the latest work of Magic Roundabout Theatre Company.
Another premier funded by this year’s purse, Darren Maher’s ‘Big Beautiful Woman’ will open at No. 36 Cecil Street on Wednesday December 10, running to Saturday 13, 8pm. Book on 085-2085737.
With the playwright/ director having worked as Lilliputian to Grandmother on her sundrenched sojourn, as did Magic Roundabout’s Zeb Moore and actors: Niamh Bowen as Gladysnevin/ Zeb, Frances Healy as Donaghmede/ Darren and Jared Nadin as “one character, a French woman but an amalgam of all beautiful French women”, Maher’s inspiration was fanned evidently by vanilla farts.
He committed to writing the play in response to former City of Culture artistic director Karl Wallace’s prompt to secure funding for a new play. The script took shape as Grandmother’s barge took leave.
Anticipate three acts that unfold in the timeframe of the Giant’s September weekend. Two theatre heads, Healy and Bowen, meet in the casting room of Delroyaluxe to bid for Lilliputian status.
The rigour, exhilaration, exhaustion and language confusion of the experience is communicated via a challenging set of ropes and pulleys that flex the tension knot of deadline.
Photo: Ian Collins
There’s a Giant silhouette to manipulate, megaphone dictatorship (Nadin), an Irish row, stolen spuds served up with Pernod and this cacophony of a soundscape is orchestrated by Senan Moore so that chaos is properly chaotic.
Darren Maher gets it across that his play is tongue-in-cheek, a physical piece that has the actors and imagination stretched.
By the way, “the French people were wonderful people.. and City of Culture weren’t ever any other way but completely supportive of us”.
Big beautiful woman left a legacy right enough.
