AN IRISH community and its culture are under siege. Ancient traditions and customs are dying out. The public act of keening is disappearing, and edicts for new ways of doing things are being handed down.
This is Gol, a new theatre show from Galway’s Brú Theatre, which will be staged at the Nuns Island Theatre from Thursday December 9 to Sunday 12.
Gol follows a group of mná caointe - professional female grievers who were prevalent in Ireland for centuries - played by Gol features Helen Gregg, Lara Campbell, Julianna Bloodgood, Ceara Conway, and Corn Uí Riada winner, Caitlín Ní Chualáin.
Part theatre and part vocal performance, this physical, stylised blend of theatrical performance and traditional lament, seeks to be an intimate, moving, reimagining of Irish traditional artistic and narrative form.
“The act of public grieving has taken on a whole new context in the wake of the last two years,” said the show’s director James Riordan. “Exploring, reimagining, composing and collaboratively creating a piece that celebrates our indigenous cultural past with a fantastic team of singers and designers has been a joy.”
Vocal composition is by Julianna Bloodgood, instrument composition by Anna Mullarkey, and the design is by Orla Clogher.
The show is as Gaeilge, but will still be suitable for those with no Irish. It will be presented with a reduced capacity audience and all Covid safety measures will be adhered to.
Gol is presented by Brú Theatre in association with the Galway Theatre Festival. For more information and tickets see www.brutheatre.com and www.galwayartscentre.ie
