Musician Danny O'Mahony, the star and subject of Brokentalkers' new production Bellow, writes about how he came to collaborate with the acclaimed theatre company, ahead of a nationwide tour this month.
Irish audiences will know me as a traditional Irish musician, an accordion player from North Kerry who has played the length and breadth of the country - now I'm delighted to be meeting them again in a totally new context.
This month I perform Bellow, a theatrical–musical collaboration with internationally renowned theatre company Brokentalkers. Together we will share our unique and beautiful theatre performance exploring what it means to be an artist.
Bellow came about in 2019 when I was appointed Traditional Artist in Residence at University College Cork. While fulfilling the role in their music department, I found myself in a familiar space of musical performance, teaching and lecturing. However, I had a curiosity around the staging of my music and how it might occur in a potentially different way, having spent my career up to that point in the usual surroundings of an audience, a stage, and a musical performance.
While I was somewhat tentative in stepping out of my comfort zone and unsure how this might be informed, I engaged with the theatre department at the University. This in turn led me to a meeting with Brokentalkers, a company I admired, having experienced some of their previous work.
Following an initial meeting in Dublin, both parties came away excited about the potential in our collaboration. The conversation began around traditional arts meeting contemporary theatre, and what might happen when the two connect.
What happened is Bellow, a unique blend of both artforms that I am extremely proud of. As a consequence of the worldwide pandemic, this process went online and, as a result, our work and progress were spread over a much longer time period than initially anticipated. This in turn led to a richness in the work that emerged quite naturally, which speaks to the ability of Brokentalkers to nurture the process and develop the work in a very organic and unique way.
Bellow brings tradition back to the future, and does so with empathy, style and beauty, mixing dance, music, theatre and a love for terrific Irish storytelling onstage, using a true and considered approach by Brokentalkers. It tells my story — the story of my music, and how the traditional Irish masters who came before me have shaped me and my artistry.
Bellow tours Ireland until May 1st, with dates in Bray, Limerick, Newbridge, Cork, Dublin and Galway - find out more here
