Writer, Director, & Choreographer: Oona Doherty
From the brilliant mind of Oona Doherty comes Specky Clark. A fictionalised version of her great great grandfather’s life after his mother dies and he is sent to live with the Clarks in Belfast. Doherty’s script is funny and poignant, weaved throughout with local legends such as the fairy twins and the fastest pig. The voice of the narrator is friendly and inviting as he guides us through the tale of Edward James Doherty, later renamed Specky.
The show opens with a body dropping to the floor and a young boy, Edward, screaming. Immediately we are pulled from reality into a world where supernatural monsters, including the Devil, are. They begin to tear away Specky’s old life, removing the elements of his home, putting on his coat, handing him a bag and sending him off. When he arrives in Belfast he is sent to live with the Clark twins. Hinge and Bracket Clark are hilarious, tutting, pecking mother hens. Playing every bit the stereotypical Irish mammy with shaking heads and flourishing hands they produce a constant chorus of “God love him”, “face only a mother could love” and “wee critter”. They forcibly undress and redress Specky and send him off to bed ready for his first day’s work at the abattoir in the morning.
Sabine Dargent’s set design is stunning and perfectly sets the scene. The dark cloth at the back of the stage drops to reveal the abattoir set. Fabric is strategically hung to resemble pig carcasses and a plastic strip curtain covers the back of the stage. The most visually and choreographically interesting scene takes place in the abattoir, at night, on Samhain. Specky, having been sent to lock up, discovers a radio and turns it on. The music starts low as though coming from the radio on stage and then builds as we see Specky finally let go and dance like no one is watching or so he thinks. The pig that Specky had killed earlier in the day comes back to life as the ‘veil is lifted’ for 24 hours. A pink trousered dancer emerges from the hanging fabric as through being reborn. Throughout the show, the dance moves used feel familiar and accessible. At various points there are popular moves like flossing, allowing an outsider to the dancing world to feel connected to the piece.
An eerily funny, poignant, and choreographically dynamic piece, Doherty has created a truly original piece of work.
Runs Until 17th May 2025.
