COUCHED in and around The Abbey Theatre’s tour here with ‘Jimmy’s Hall’, Lime Tree Theatre presents a trio of free Irish language gigs invoking lost fragments of our everyday culture agus teanga dúchais.
Who better to present than Fíorscéal’s fearless irisóir, Manchán Magan?
The lively documentary maker and cultural commentator espouses his native language proudly in his reports.
So for ‘Gaeilge Tamagotchi’ on Friday July 20 from 1pm to 2pm and again 6pm to 7.15pm, and on Saturday 21 from 3pm to 5pm for ‘Arán & Im’, Manchán offers a good humoured performance installation.
These sessions are free to all.
We learn that the Irish language has 4,400 different words merely to describe someone: to convey their character, their demeanour, their shape or stature.
They are rarely used and many are already dead. Who recalls words such as súghóg? – the stain left by tears or spailp – a surprise kiss.
Tamagotchi-style, audience members will adopt an endangered Irish word from the artist, which they agree to nurture, nourish and take guardianship of. We each receive a word unique to us and are given the opportunity to print or paint this word on stone, oakwood or linen as a ritualistic covenant.
It’s a different scene on Saturday July 21 at 3pm.
‘Arán & Im’ is a more theatrical performance in which Manchán bakes sourdough for two hours while offering insights into the wonders of an teanga Gaeilge. This will be an exploration of “potent words of landscape, terms of intuition and insight, and the many phrases that bring to life the mysterious glory of our natural world.”
Over the couple of hours there will be a chance to slice through his fresh-bake and slather it with butter churned on the spot by attendees to this Lime Tree event.
Book on www.limetreetheatre.ie
