Tag Archives: Marie Mullen

Preview: The Ulster Bank Dublin Theatre Festival

  By Sinead Keogh | July 27, 2011 - 11:41 am | Events, Festivals, The Arts, The Culch, Theatre
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Back on our pop culture radar is the annual Ulster Bank Dublin Theatre Festival with their just-launched, kick-ass programme. In keeping with previous years, there’s plenty of variety and you’ll find it all here but if you’re a bit overwhelmed by the scale of it all, we have a few recommendations. For starters, we’re big fans of Chekhov. First introduced to team Culch via the Chekhov’s Comedy Shorts series on Sky Arts (find it if you can, it’s hilarious and unexpectedly crammed with big names), we’re looking forward to seeing two Chekhov-inspired works during the festival. “DONKA, A LETTER TO CHEKHOV” is pegged as an extravaganza of acrobatics and magic (it’s performed by acrobats and a troupe of clowns), inspired by Chekhov’s plays and diaries it’s promising to be surreal and escapist. (Gaiety Theatre, September 29th - October 2nd.) Meanwhile, “16 POSSIBLE GLIMPSES” focuses on the life and death of the … There’s more →

If Anyone’s Expecting Me To Cry, Expect Again

  By Darren Byrne | June 10, 2009 - 10:34 am | The Arts, The Culch, Theatre
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The first thing that begs to be said about the Abbey’s new play is that Marie Mullen in the lead role of Arina is nothing short of spectacular. The character she plays is a one woman army and Mullen makes you believe every word she utters. The Last Days of the Reluctant Tyrant, written by Tom Murphy, tells the story of a woman who began life as a poor girl married off to a local well-to-do family. She takes their ailing fortune and turns it around, building a wealthy estate. Arina is a hardened woman, seemingly lacking and pity, remorse or any emotion whatsoever, save contempt. Tyrant examines this woman’s attempt to reconcile the difference between mother and matriarch. We begin as her ne’er do well son Stephen, played ably by Darragh Kelly, returns to town. This stirs Arina into questioning herself and whether she has made the right decisions … There’s more →