A new play opening tomorrow night in Dublin promises to gently poke fun at that most unique of Irish institutions, the annual lovely girls competition, or the Rose of Tralee as it's better known.
Oh! What A Lovely Rose! is a one-woman theatre/comedy show that examines the Rose of Tralee and all the various characters that can be found at the competition every year.
The play’s producer, Heather Walsh, said that they initially set out to make fun of the festival.
“We had all come on board to take the mick out of the Rose of Tralee and all it stood for. Really, is it not a bit weird that the whole nation gets together, sits down as a family and watches a beauty competition? It’s ridiculous that we do this.”
The 45-minute piece sees actress Erica Murray transforming into a host of different Roses, all while wearing the same unflattering green dress.
“There’s your classic Rose, the Rose that everyone thinks of. She’s a nice, nice girl, she’s SO nice," said Walsh.
"Then she plays a bit of country Rose who just doesn’t get it. She’s rough and ready to go, she’s like ‘Sure yeah, I hop up on my tractor every day, what’s the problem?’”
Murray also plays two different escorts, the charming competition host, and a Newbridge Silver judge.
Run Daithi, run
While it’s all a bit of a laugh, Walsh explained that the team actually ended up learning a lot about the festival and its social and cultural impact. For example, the fact that the New York Rose from 1970 is now the Vice President of the New York Stock Exchange.
“At the end of the day, if you strip away the crown, the Rose of Tralee is a platform for women to stand up, do their thing and be celebrated for who they are," Walsh added. "That can’t be a bad thing.”
Oh! What A Lovely Rose! runs at Smock Alley Theatre in Dublin at 6.15pm from September 16-19.
It's just one of a myriad of theatre, comedy, dance, art and music shows running as part of the Dublin Fringe Festival which continues until September 20.
