AN FATHACH LEITHLEASACH AN TAIBHDHEARC

Review by Judy Murphy

A visual delight from beginning to end, An Taibhdhearc’s Christmas show, An Fathach Leithleasach, directed by Muireann Kelly, is designed to send children and adults back into the world with a song in their hearts and a spring in their step.

Based on Oscar Wilde’s fable, The Selfish Giant, in a faithful yet creative translation by Brídín Nic Dhonncha, it’s a treat visually and aurally, with a message about the importance of sharing that seems particularly pertinent to our time.

This is no lecturing however; rather the show draws you into its magic world, a world in which a group of children have unfettered access to a giant’s beautiful life-filled garden – until he returns from his extended holidays. He turfs them out. Almost immediately, the garden becomes devoid of life. Winter sets in and will not leave, forcing him to retreat to bed with giant sniffles and a hot water bottle.

Sioc, Sneachta agus An Ghaoth Aduaidh perform a chilly dance inside the garden, even as the woebegone children are barricaded outside.

But this is a magic story about a magic place. Eventually the giant realises how selfish and foolish he has been and readmits them.

The magic of the garden is conveyed through Saoirse O’Shea’s beautifully layered set, while Sarah Jane Shiels’ lighting design captures the changing – and unchanging – seasons, aided by clever use of puppetry and fabric.

The cast of five professional and eight child actors work in harmony, with magical dancing by Orlaith Ní Chearra as Sióg as she teases the narrator, Oscar, the flexible, fluid and magnificently made-up Eoin Ó Dubhghaill whose antics are a delight.

The youthful looking Molly Mew and Inga de Búrca as older children, Méabh and Áine, have a lovely harmony with the younger cast members, who move through a range of emotions as the story unfolds.

Their corduroy pinafores, with intricate collars, pockets and embroidered features are among the pieces created by costume designer Clíodhna Hallissey. She shows her considerable creativity with the diaphanous creations for Sióg, while Oscar and the Giant’s outfits have clever pockets concealing all kinds of magical tricks.

Séamus Hughes is in his element as the giant, telling the children to go home and working with the audience in true panto fashion.

Uachtaráin na hÉireann, Catherine Connolly, who was present on opening night, was among those he chided for being in his garden. She had a fine garden in the Áras, and had no need to be invading his space, he said firmly.

Eoin Ó Dubhghaill as Oscar likewise engages with the children too, because, while An Fathach Leithleasach isn’t officially a panto, it has many pantomime elements.

Denis Clohessy’s magical soundscape has important messages, nowhere more than at the end, where the cast exhort the audience to remove the barriers that might exclude others.

An Fathach Leithleasach is Irish, and nobody is excluded, thanks to the visuals, while the Sibwrd app offers English language access and closed captioning in Irish.

Dfhágamar an Taibhdhearc le gliondar ar ár gcroíthe.

* Running at An Taibhdhearc until this Friday. December 19.

Pictured: The children after being frozen out of the giant’s garden.