AN IRISH STORY by Kelly Rivière at The Everyman

Kelly Rivière is delighted to bring her show An Irish Story to The Everyman as part of an Irish and French tour.

In 1949, Peter O’Farrel, aged 19, leaves Knockarron with Margaret in search of a job in London. When he leaves, he doesn’t know that Margaret is expecting a child. They marry in London. Penniless, without permanent accommodation, Irish people in England in the 1950s, their life is tough. Peter drowns his sorrow in alcohol and disappears regularly, without notice. Until one day, he does not return. From then on, Margaret never even mentions his name. In 2000, France, their grand-daughter, Kelly Ruisseau, sets out to try to find him.

In this play, Kelly takes us on a quest through time, countries and languages. It is a journey into the heart of a family with its secrets and its silences. Come and join her in a story so intimate it becomes universal, that of a family marked for ever by a disappearance.

With the support of the Embassy of France in Ireland and the Alliance Francaise Dublin.

Kelly Rivière received the Prix SACD 2020 Nouveau Talent Humour / One woman show.

“A miracle free of superficiality from an actress who goes, swift as the wind, from one state to the other: woman, man, young, old, English, French, Irish. This show is a marvel, the ones we hope to see each night at the theatre. Nothing less.” – Joelle Gayot, Télérama (translated from French)

“What a talent! Kelly Rivière manages to create a play from a hilarious and brilliant self-fiction. Through a slight turn of speech, a physical presence envied by the best mimes, striking lines – everything works toward a successful journey within a family and the Irish community carried by an array of colourful characters. Against forgetfulness, the story goes on, fixes and reinvents Peter’s unknown destiny. Don’t miss it!” – Agnes Santi, La Terrasse (translated from French)

“A brilliantly thought-through show with amazing writing. Her ability to switch from one language to the other to guide the audience in her journey was nothing short of fascinating.” – René Solis, France Culture (translated from French)