In the still shock of the 2020 lockdown, Carlow-born artist Barry Fitzgerald began writing letters to their father. He had died four years earlier. A simple mourning ritual grew and allowed Barry to move again.
Mourning is a Muscle is the culmination of those letters - a new performance that explores the relationship of a father and queer child. Memories of Annie Lennox, Neil Diamond, Carlow countryside and London lockdown are woven together; delving into gender, lineage, how we carry the landscape of home, and the joy of moving as our true selves.
A work-in-progress sharing of the full show coming in 2025.
Age recommendation: 12+
Funded by the Arts Council | An Chomhairle Ealaíon
Supported by
Supported by Carlow County Council Arts Office and Creative Ireland Carlow
Sponsored By
Created and performed by Barry Fitzgerald
Design: Rūta Irbīte
Sound: Jane Deasy
Movement: Philip Connaughton
Dramaturg: Ben Buratta
Costume maker: Harry Whitham
Produced by Alice Quinn Banville
Image credit: Dónal Talbot