/”Motorhead Mary/Trade
Watergate Theatre, Kilkenny
★★★★☆
Mary Motorhead and Trade, two brief operas from 2019 and 2023, reveal a fascinating familial link between the narrative and musical aspects. These compelling pieces, composed by Irish talent Emma O’Halloran, have been introduced to Ireland as a double act by the Irish National Opera, following successful premieres across the pond in the U.S.
Each opera was originally scripted as a play by the composer’s uncle, writer and actor Mark O’Halloran. His powerful, straightforward language lent a raw, rugged edge to each play, a distinct signature also evident in his 2004 movie Adam & Paul, in which he played a lead role. This striking presence now characterises his niece’s two operas.
Demonstrating a keen knack for creating opera, the younger O’Halloran has skilfully melded magnificent music with great writing. The intent is to form something original, while keeping the essence of the original intact, and O’Halloran accomplishes this superbly. Her response to the text is expressive, allowing her to maintain its harsh realism, making the most of her area of musical expertise, namely the fusion of the acoustic and electronic. The addition of electric guitar and electronics to the traditional blend of strings and winds in a small yet conventional opera ensemble sits perfectly. They never ostentatiously show off their existence, instead, they merge effortlessly into the traditional backdrop, subtly maximizing potential.
With the exception of one scene in Trade where the singer John Molloy struggles to be heard, conductor Elaine Kelly skillfully manages the eclectic selection of instruments and embodies O’Halloran’s sound.
Motorhead Mary, a 30-minute monodrama, is set in a single location, a cell in Mountjoy Prison where Mary is serving an 18-year sentence for murder. The staging and performance challenges this presents are largely overcome. The lighting, while occasionally a bit blatant, is instrumental in transporting the audience beyond the confines of the cell, as Mary reflects on significant events from her past.”/
These insightful reflections are made enthralling due to a dynamic collaboration of words, melody and acting, all working in perfect unison. Naomi Louisa O’Connell, the mezzo-soprano, portrays Mary with a mix of intimidation and empathy. She occasionally inclines towards melodrama, but for the most part, she brings forth the same strong conveyance of the private and internal as she did in her role as the overlooked Kennedy sister, Rosemary, in Least Like the Other. This previous performance was put on the stage by the Irish National Opera in 2019.
Trade is staged in a single-location set – a shabby bedroom in a Dublin inner-city boarding house. This one-hour, two-character play, features Oisín Ó Dálaigh, the maturing tenor, portraying the Younger Man, a prostitute hired by Molloy, the bass-baritone, who takes on the role of the Older Man. The play is seen as the superior piece, largely due to the alternatingly awkward and tender rapport between the actors.
Conversing over low-priced Polish beers, the characters gradually break down their respective walls and share the journeys that brought them to their current positions in life. The complexity of Molloy’s role is a testament to his talent, and Ó Dálaigh’s performance is a revelation, as if O’Halloran had unexpectedly found him in an alley and uncovered his magnificent vocal talent.
The Irish National Opera’s Trade/Mary Motorhead double bill will tour various locations, including Dún Laoghaire, Cork, Tralee, Ennis, and Navan, from Friday, October 11th, till Saturday, October 26th.