My Son My Son

'My Son My Son' is a new play about THE MOTHER. Through her story we witness her ‘working class community’. The intention is not to accentuate a binary, us and them. But we need to stop pretending that class isn’t a real thing. It is. Still. 

Anyway. It’s about THE MOTHER. She’s a Mother because she tells us she is. Constantly. She has one son, hence the title. This won’t pass the Bechdel Test. That’s deliberate. All characters are female. Men only exist off stage, somewhere else, doing other things. Her best friend is Mary, they’ve been friends since they were 7. Mary is childless, but married. THE MOTHER’s never been married. She’s against it really. They’re strong, liberal working class women, from the South Inner City. Up the Liberties!  And a bit bet down by The Life when we meet them. There’s an abundance of narrative. Drama basically. There’s a lot of drama in our lives. That’s not what’s really important, but we’ll use that to get to what is. 

We want to connect. We need to. There’s a lot to do.

Set on MEATH STREET, we’re telling the story of THE MOTHER. Backwards. In 7 year intervals. Beginning with a visit to HAIRDRESSER, moving via GROTTO down to DOORWAY OF THE LARK INN landing outside LARKIN’S BUTCHERS* where 7 year old THE MOTHER  stands inside her Mammy’s shopping trolley dodging umbrellas. She’s afraid of umbrellas. 

*recently sold and redeveloped as a generic Hickey’s Pharmacy. There’s 3 chemists within 3 minutes walk. That’s in the now, not in the past.

Written & Directed by Veronica Dyas

Featuring Lauren Larkin, Amy Conroy, Ericka Roe, & Leah Moore

Designed by Ciarán O'Melia

Musical Director & Composer Seán Millar

Sound Design by Carl Kennedy

Costume Design by Sarah Foley

Production Managed by Seán Dennehy

Stage Managed by Fiona Keller

Assistant Stage Managed by Sarah Purcell

Line Produced by Carla Rogers

Photography by Louis Haugh

Graphic Design by Stina Sandström

Filmed by Mark Canton  (Saturday Matinee at Project Arts Centre)

Funded by the Arts Council of Ireland’s Project Award (Theatre) Round 1, Strand 3 - Presentation 2018, with additional support from Project Arts Centre, Mermaid Arts Centre, AXIS Ballymun and Irish Theatre Institute.

Script available here