Writer: Mary Kate O’Flanagan
Director: Will O’Connell
As Mary Kate O’Flanagan will tell you (and does tell you) herself, she is a storyteller, and Making a Show of Myself is a wonderfully intimate collection of six personal anecdotes told over 75 minutes. There’s no preamble, as soon as O’Flanagan walks onto the stage she launches into the first story, making the audience laugh early doors to put them at ease and get them into the swing of it; is there anything as universal as the humour of heartbreak? It’s an endearing and ultimately uplifting opener and sets the tone perfectly for the rest of the show.
Not only is O’Flanagan a storyteller, she is also a teacher of telling stories, and that forms the links between these six tales taken from her own life. O’Flanagan seeks to instruct the audience in some of the shapes and tropes of stories and why they make us feel the way they do. She is also a woman who has had a very interesting journey so far, and one that has been filled with struggle and success, so woven into these instructional links are some very kind and thoughtful nods to the ongoing stories that are part of each audience member’s life. It’s hard not to feel cared for and considered by O’Flanagan as she reminds the theatre that the middle of every story is fraught with challenge – that’s what makes it the middle.
The stories are all unique in content; O’Flanagan shares a tale from her mother’s life, she talks about her introduction to living in London, her father’s death, the saga of a young boy she met in a refugee camp, and her quest to find peace within herself. However, they all have commonalities as well, they are all dotted with humour, sprinkled with self-awareness, and absolutely drowning in love. O’Flanagan is a joy to spend just over an hour with; she has a refreshingly grounded positivity that is infectious, and she is exactly the kind of person you would want to tell your own story to over a cup of tea. Towards the end she confides her superpower to the audience – making friends, not a person in the theatre could argue with her.
The set-up is satisfying simple, O’Flanagan needs no stage dressing or distractions, only herself and a spotlight that dips into a warm glow for the stories themselves, giving the feel of a fireplace to gather round – the perfect place to hear a tale (this effect is marred only by the chill of the Boy’s School in winter!) It’s an absolutely lovely way to spend an evening – get there while you can!
Runs Until 2nd December 2023.
The Review's Hub Score
Simply Soulful Storytelling
