Woman Undone by Brokentalkers: Activism with a Difference

Abstract

Brokentalkers theatre company first set up in 2001 may be described as a fearless, innovative organisation which has from the outset tried to balance the inequalities prevalent in Irish society. It comprises of Feidlim Cannon and Gary Keegan who describe their ethos as to devise original, accessible live performance and explore new forms that challenge traditional ideologies of text-based theatre. They use the postdramatic medium in order to convey the urgency of a particular situation and in line with this, their performances can often include slapstick, violent physical action, pop cultures, breaking of the illusion and hysterical outbursts from the actors. One of their more recent performances, Woman Undone, which premiered in 2018, is an impactful reimagining and reconstruction of an aspect of blues singer, Mary Coughlan’s life. This essay investigates the use of dramaturgical strategies such as musicality, bodily movement and cross gender casting in the performance in order to highlight the situation of those who have been abused in Ireland. The microcosm of one well known woman’s experience is brought to the macrocosm of society to educate and enlighten all women.

Keywords

• postdramatic
• gender
• patriarchy
• embodied trauma