Stage

Seahorse review: A one-woman play that is at its best when at its funniest

Dublin Fringe Festival: A few tweaks could give Christiane O’Mahony’s play a deservedly long life

Seahorse: Mara, the pregnant heroine of Christiane O’Mahony play, isn’t sure she is ready to hand over her life to a “tiny dictator”. Photograph: Engin Akyurt

Sara Keating's face
Sara Keating
Wed Sep 19 2018 - 12:51

SEAHORSE

Project Arts Centre
★ ★ ★ ★
Who wouldn't want to be a sea horse, really? You'd get to float about all day, oblivious to the dilemmas of the modern woman, namely the sacrifice of motherhood. This is the crisis facing Mara, the heroine of Christiane O'Mahony's one-woman play, who discovers she is pregnant. Her partner is keen that she have the baby, but Mara isn't sure she is ready to hand over her life – her independence, her career, her sexual predilections – to a "tiny dictator".

Directed by Davey Kelleher, the production is slickly designed and lit by Brian Mitchell, with animation by Janet Grainger that is cleverly deployed but never fully exploited.

Seahorse raises some important themes, but the script, which is at its best at its funniest, needs a good trim. O'Mahony is also at her best at her funniest. With her large, expressive face, she brings to life the events leading up to her crisis with real hilarity. A bit of tweaking would make this a production with the potential for a life far longer than that of the sea horse.

Runs until Saturday, September 22nd

Fringe