Dathanna Geala Amháin/ Bright Colours Only will be staged by Fíbín sa Taibhdhearc next month for the Galway International Arts Festival.

This one-woman comedy about the Irish tradition of waking the dead has toured from Belfast to Brazil in a hearse and will be travelling from Glasgow to Galway, in a new Irish language translation.

Drawing on memories of a Belfast childhood, the show written by writer and actor Pauline Goldsmith, celebrates people’s struggle to be themselves in life and in death.

This production stars Brídín Ní Mhaoldomhnaigh (Katie in Ros na Rún) who also translated the script, in conjunction with Séamus Mac Annaidh.

It is the first show from the new Artistic Director of Fíbín sa Taibhdhearc, Muireann Kelly, who direct, and will be  staged at Fíbín’s Connemara headquarters in An Tulach as well as in An Taibhdhearc.

Actor, presenter and writer Brídín Ní Mhaoldomhnaigh from Gaoth Dobhair in Donegal, spent nine years acting in Ros Na Rún. Recent performance credits include An Bhfuil a Fhios Agat (2021), The Queen VS Patrick O’ Donnell (2022) and Díolta Faoina Luach (2023).

Set and costume design is Sabine D’argent, with lighting design by Blú Hanley and Bridget Ní Dhuinn working as assistant designer/maker.

Performed in Irish, without subtitles in Connemara and with English subtitles at An Taibhdhearc, this show is for made for those who are dying to live! Tea, sympathy and sandwiches will be provided – and perhaps a drop of the hard stuff too. Dathanna Geala Amháin has been described as ‘brilliant’ by Time Out and The Guardian, and ‘drop-dead funny’ by The Observer.

Running at about 70 minutes, it will be staged at Fíbín’s base in An Tulach from July 20-22 and at An Taibhdhearc from 25-29.  Tickets are €18/20.