The Humours of Bandon
*****
Taliesin Centre, Swansea
Thu 22 Nov
The Humours of Bandon is a traditional Irish jig as well as this play’s namesake – it’s the dance our star-performer and writer Margaret McAuliffe is encouraged to perform by her Irish Dancing teacher. She says she should do it even though it’s simple… because it’s simple. You can’t hide a fault when you do things simply, she says. And that’s exactly what {The Humours of Bandon} at Taliesin Centre was on Thursday night: simple and faultless.
McAuliffe has only a small table, her shoes, hair ribbons, hair curlers and a disposable coffee cup to tell her story, yet the stage was heaving with life, energy and character. This one-woman show is the story of Annie, a 16-year-old Irish dancing competitor in Dublin, who is sharing her experience of working towards winning the Irish Open Championship. It’s about more than just that, though. It’s about childhood passion, understanding when passion turns into obligation, love for dancing, and self-awareness.
It’s part of the {Show In A Bag} initiative, which is A collaboration between {Fishamble: The New Play Company}, {Tiger Dublin Fringe} and {Irish Theatre Institute}, encouraging and providing resources for theatre makers and actors. {The Humours of Bandon} was 2017’s winner for Best Theatre Script at the Writer’s Guild of Ireland ZeBBie Awards. It won the {Little Gem Award} at the Dublin Fringe Festival 2016, where McAuliffe was nominated for Best Performer, too.
Every character that McAuliffe plays, whether it’s Annie, her mother, her dancing couch, and many other people who play a role in Annie’s dancing life, has their own energy and life. Directed by Stefanie Preissner, the use of space, movement, speech and dance in this production intersect so effortlessly.
A point in itself must go to McAuliffe’s dancing. It was truly incredible, and the performance as a whole was an embodiment of mixed theatrical performance. I could barely believe that McAuliffe could swap from twizzling across the stage to being a poised, strict teacher barking orders with barely pause for breathe.
It’s funny, charming, serious and light-hearted all in one. Better yet, it’s in South Wales at the moment, and anyone who has the chance (and a passion for theatrical excellence) should make an effort to see it.
words Megan Thomas
The Humours of Bandon plays at a variety of venues across Wales over the coming weeks – Riverfront Theatre, Newport (Sat 24 Nov), Ffwrnes, Llanelli (Mon 26 Nov), Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon (Tue 27 Nov) and Theatr Clwyd, Mold (Sat 1 Dec)