Archives Alive
Archives Alive is the culmination of over 3 years of work. It reaches into the historical documents housed at Strokestown Park and the National Famine Museum’s archives as inspiration to create Theatre. Inspired to breathe life into archives, the events brought real people from the past back into the land of the living. Creatively performed within the very space where the stories originally unfolded.
When Olive Met Stuart
The initial body of this work was presented for Culture Night in 2019. Entitled ‘When Olive Met Stuart’; the one woman show was based on a bundle of secret love letters found in Strokestown Park’s Archive. These love letters belonged to the formidable Olive Pakenham Mahon. The riviting records of the last Lady of ‘The Big House’ had so much inspiration for colourful characterisation!
Dead Time
Dead time in the following year, including source material from a locked diary belonging to Olive Pakenham Mahon only recently discovered. Secrets, under lock and key for a century.
Love and War in the Big House
These performances led to the creation of a three part series of Digital Theatre. Entitled; ‘Love and War in the Big House’ on behalf of Irish Heritage as part of the Decade of Centenaries arts events. Created as part of the celebration of one hundred years of Irish Independence.Within the video art for the Digital Theatre the themes of great privilege at a time of great change. The scenes depicted the aristocracies sense of security being rattled by ambushes and intrigues outside their crumbling walls.
In The Midst of Plenty
The next collaboration was with Amy Day, playwright and composer of In The Midst of Plenty. This new folk musical is also inspired by the archives of The National Famine Museum.
Here, the petition for mercy written to Major Mahon by the Widow Kilmartin was integrated into her torn dress. The names on record of those families who emigrated via the Famine Way and coffin ships were inscribed on the shawl of Mary, a central character in the play. The Cloonahee Petition hung from the prop gun used against Denis Mahon, flagging the unheard pleas of desperate tenants.
Through this project, the efforts by historians to preserve these precious records truly come alive to inspire, inform, and caution us.
