Writer: Emily Gillmor Murphy
Director: Aonghus Òg McAnally
Bliss is an audio experience that guides you through the life of a woman, Mary, who grew up on Bray seafront. The listeners journey begins at Bray Promenade, but one can’t help but feel the presence of urgency in the calm setting. Although the experience has the same feeling of a podcast, the audience member gets the sensation that they are not alone as they are guided through the town, and that something exciting is underway. There is no date given, which allows the listener to fill in the gaps and become part of the story.
The audience begins by being captivated by a female voice as she holds our hand through the familiar sights of Bray, with an unfamiliar story. Her story. For those of you who do not know Bray well, this audio experience becomes a personal tour of the area, as one of the locals share their story on what it was like to grow up there – bliss.
The audio introduces us to the start of Mary’s journey and her earliest memories. The voice talent of the cast and the direction given are at the top of their game; a difficult thing to achieve when the audience cannot see the characters. But the main strengths of the text lies in the colourful language, conversations and imagery, which has the ability to bring the listener into their surroundings.
The plot leaves a bit to be desired, as there are a few inconsistencies. The listeners are left on the edge of their seats in part 1, when a fight breaks out on a date and the protagonist reaches the sea. Part 2 turns its back on these events and starts to make its way south to the Bray Hotel. The listener hears a male south side accent, which is unfamiliar and brings with it a sense of uncertainty. It is only when we hear Mary again that the listener feels on steady ground and again has a lens as to what is happening. The listener sits through a painful first date and learns the fate of Mary’s father and friend Julie. We begin to fear the welfare of Mary in this sunny seaside town.
The plot makes every effort to make the listener question the safety of the seafront, with Mary interrupting herself to tell the listener to take in their surroundings. Mary begins to talk about her father and his mortality; a concern of every child as their parents age.
Part 3 brings us back to the opening conversation of part 1, where there is a sense of urgency as the listeners wait for men to arrive. The tempo of the story picks up. The listener is welcomed by the village and the beach on a sunny day; the town is bustling the beach full of day trippers and sea swimmers. We learn that Mary’s reason for caring for her father is based on guilt, but also resentment of his drinking problems. Her mother shares these feelings but tells her daughter to let go.
Towards the end of part 3, the listener has learned that Mary plans to move on from Bray and all that is familiar to her. She is emotional and confronts her family, as though to blame them for her unhappiness. The listener is then brought to a memory where Mary’s dad taught her to swim and converse on a better life.
Runs until 18 April 2022
