Do you believe in faeries? Michael didn’t either, until dark and mysterious things began to happen in his once happy home. Spindle Collective’s latest haunting work sìofra, is the second installment in their Dark Mother Trilogy. Co-written by Natalia Bushnik and Kathleen Welch, who also directs and has composed original music for the piece, this spine-chilling work is a beautiful addition to their ongoing series. Taking place in Ireland in the late 1800’s, sìofra leads us into the woods of Knockma, but will anyone emerge the same?
Photo by Jack Woolfe
Mary has believed in faeries all of her life; living near the famed Knockma Hill, where the King and Queen of the faeries supposedly reside, how could she not? Many of the villagers she knows believe in them too, and in the strange magic they can perform. Though Micheal left Knockma when he was younger, when he returns home, he falls madly in love with Mary, and she with him. But when he builds them a home on a fairy mound near Knockma, what starts out as a happy marriage quickly becomes something far more sinister, especially after the birth of their child. But who’s to blame? Have the faeries taken their baby? Or has Mary finally succumbed to their call?
Photo by Jack Woolfe
Like SAMCA before it, sìofra not only examines European folklore, but how motherhood plays into these myths. Mary believes in the faerie stories she’s been told, until she has to become a mother figure to her younger sister Siobhan. However, once she’s pregnant for the first time, things change for Mary. Suddenly her fears of those malicious fae folk come flooding back, as the responsibility of being a mother feels like too much for her to bear. Throughout the story there are several different versions of motherhood depicted: mothers who have lost children, those who have had successful pregnancies, and those who have yet to become mothers. By including both the lighter and darker truths of motherhood, sìofra gives attention and care to the full spectrum of experiences.
The woods of Knockma have come into the Red Sandcastle Theatre with their branches surrounding the set in an ominous embrace. There’s a crib which sits at the front of the stage, along with a kitchen chair. Ciarán Connaire’s set design uses just the right elements to help create these cozy village locales like their homes or the pub. Combined with Brendan Kinnon’s lighting and the eerie sound design, you feel fully immersed in the world of sìofra.
Photo by Jack Woolfe
sìofra has an impressively talented cast bringing it to life. Natalia Bushnik and Darius Rathe star as Mary and Michael. Their chemistry together is electric, and they both give nuanced and impressive performances. Rachel Offer is a passionate and heartfelt Siobhan, making the final moments of the play totally heartbreaking. Justin Otto’s Thomas is brash yet compassionate, and Otto embodies this expertly. Eric Woolfe’s Dr. Ferris is suspiciously spooky, a perfect role for Woolfe. Jeanie Calleja plays Niamh, and she brings a ferocity and intensity to the role which I really enjoy. Claire Haig-Halsall and Susan Wesson play Eimear and Nora, two of the villagers who are friends with Mary and Siobhan. They both bring such heart and empathy to their characters. Brian Taylor gives a heartrending performance as the ailing Jim; watching him switch between lucidity and confusion is impressive. This is such a perfectly balanced cast, and they all have a charming Irish lilt to their voices.
Along with being a chilling faerie story itself, sìofra asks its audience to consider how women’s health, particularly around child bearing, was handled (or not) in days gone by. Are Mary and her baby truly changelings? Or is Mary suffering from postpartum depression? But when you build your home on a faerie mound, how you can you ever be sure?
sìofra runs at the Red Sandcastle Theatre until June 28. For more information and tickets, visit: https://natbushnik0.wixsite.com/spindlecollective/about-3
Cover Photo: Darius Rathe. Photo by Jack Woolfe.
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