CREATED by Lime Tree Theatre | Belltable Artist-in-Residence, Georgina Miller, Freefalling is an extraordinary true story, brought to life in an incredible way.
Imagine that you are a world traveller, you’re jumping out of planes, diving with sharks, living your best life until… your body stops working, and no one knows why.
You find yourself stranded on a tiny island, in need of a ventilator and time is of the essence.
You have to be evacuated by air and then the ground starts shaking.
Freefalling is an adrenaline-filled, aerial flight captures the joy of living life to the full, and the terror of being trapped in a body that refuses to function.
Limerick original
Georgina Miller from Ennis Road, Limerick is a graduate of the Gaiety School of Acting (full-time Actor Training Course) and an Arts Degree in English and Media at MIC.
Returning to her native city as Artist-in-Residence gave Georgina the opportunity to create this extraordinary theatre from a compelling story.
“I was so thrilled to get it, it was a real boost to me creatively, and that the Lime Tree staff had a level of confidence in my ability, which I don’t know I even saw myself but they just got fully behind me not just on this project that I’m working on but also my career into the future as well.
Describing the project that will premier in Limerick in a few weeks, Georgina says, Freefalling is a, “new theatre and aerial fusion show, based on my own real life experiences, which were quite dramatic and called for a very dramatic telling, and that’s why we landed on the aerial elements (of the play) and worked that into the script because it lends itself really well to what we’re trying to say narratively, and also gives a real sort of wow factor and a whole other element to the show.”
Georgina won critical acclaim for her role as Maureen in One Last White Horse and the award for Best Actress from the Guinness ISDA Festival for her performance in At the Black Pig’s Dyke, both for MIDAS.
Her TV credits include Pure Mule, Fair City and she is a busy voice over artist in the commercial sphere and on television.
“I’ve been a professional actress for over 20 years now. And so even though writing was something that always piqued my interest I never applied myself to it until now.”
COVID provided the perfect opportunity to get Georgina’s extraordinary story down on paper and formed into a performance.
The story tells how while travelling, she contracted a condition that none of the medical people abroad could tell what was happening but it was an ascending paralysis from the feet that was moving up through her body.
She found herself racing against the clock to get to where she could get the medical help needed before the paralysis reached her lungs, but there were many more twists to this compelling story.
Rough Magic & Fidget Feet
“As the script developed, I approached Rough Magic Theatre Company, thinking it was a pie in the sky notion because they’re one of the best companies in the country. And their artistic director Lynn Parker really got behind the writing and the story itself.”
“We then brought in Fidget Feet Aerial Dance Company who are based here in Limerick.”
To tell the story of Freefalling the actress used aerial acrobatics, finding a new way to bring the narrative to life. It is a theatre show with aerial elements in it.
“The aerial harness allows us to play around with two different ideas.
“One is the freedom of the movement, the liberation and the flying and the joy of that, which features in the story.
“And also then, the restriction, and the lack of agency because you’re almost being puppeteered by somebody else, by this other force outside of you.
“So we’re hoping that this will be a sort of a new experience for audiences because we’re merging a theatrical narrative form with the aerial elements to feed into that narrative form and to bring Freefalling to a whole new height.” (pun intended)
Aerial acrobatics
For Freefalling, the Limerick actress needed a head for heights to prepare and train a work with a counter weight which controls her movements on stage.
“This is a whole different skill set that I had never tapped into at all.
“The process of building the show was figuring out okay, this is a great concept that we have, let’s try and put it together with the script and see does it do what we think it will.”
“But in terms of the process of learning it, I do have a head for heights, however I’ve been known to leave the place quite nauseous on particular days. And question my thought process as to why I thought this is a good idea.” laughs
“But it’s also such a joyful thing to do. I mean it is the closest a human being can get to that feeling of flying.”
Now Georgina has created an exciting groundbreaking theatre piece for a brilliant hair raising true story that she would regale friends in the pub.
“I’ve been dreaming of telling the story of Freefalling on stage for over a decade. I’m incredibly grateful for the Lime Tree Theatre|Belltable’s support for the play,
“I tell the audience that from the get go, that you are going to think I’m making this story up and that’s why the story kind of begs to be told.
“I mean I’m a performer, so its in the blood, but I always thought for years and years this is such a good story and I have been telling audiences in pubs for the last 14 years.
Louise Donlon, Executive Director of the Lime Tree Theatre | Belltable added: “Following on from the success of Red Army by Limerick writers Helena Close and Marie Boylan last October we couldn’t be happier to support Georgina Miller with her new play Freefalling this June.
“We want to continue to tell Limerick stories and keep the arts sector in the mid-west region thriving, now all we need is Limerick audiences to come out and support us!”
Freefalling is a Lime Tree Theatre | Belltable commission. The three performances at Belltable are previews ahead of its official opening at the Cork Midsummer Festival this June.
Freefalling plays at Belltable from Tuesday June 13 to Thursday June 15. Tickets €22, 90mins (no interval) Suitable for Age 12+
