I stiúdeo ealaíontóra, labhrann scáthanna, tagann ábhar ina mbeatha agus rianann sí a cnámha lena cumha a shárú agus céiliúradh a dhéanamh ar an ngrá agus ar chiorcal an tsaoil.
In an artist's studio, shadows talk, objects come alive and she draws her very bones to overcome loss and celebrate love and the cycle of life.
Cuimhne grámhar ar slua carachtair atá in The Holding Bones - amhránaithe, scéalaithe agus rógairí. Agus í ag léiriú ómóis shúgartha dá sinsear déanann Niamh Lawlor machtnamh ar an saol. A saol féin.
Labhair Niamh le RTÉ.ie/Gaeilge faoi téamaí an seó agus an áit as a dtagann siad.
The Holding Bones – píosa atá anseo do dhaoine fásta?
"Sea, smaoinaíonn daoine gur seó puipéad i gcóir paistí amháin a bhíonn ag Púca Puppets ach seo ceann do dhaoine fásta – the magic of puppetry is for everyone!"
"It's really theatrical story-telling with puppetry and visual live drawings – tá siad meascaithe le chéile."
Tá an scéal beathaisnéiseach, biographical?
"Sin é. It’s a kind of coming-of-age story, mar a deirtear. De réir mar a théann tú in aois agus go gcailtear gaolta leat atá níos sine agus mar a láimhseálann tú é sin."
"Thinking about your own future and your family and what you’re leaving behind. That makes it sound very sober but is scéal grinn é chomh maith."
"My aim is to bring some of my relatives to life on stage. Tá go leor greann agus greann dorcha san insint agus is céiliúradh atá ann chomh maith."
Deir léirmheas amháin go mbeidh idir gháire agus gol ann?
"Sea, tá sé lán le mothúcháin."
Bhfuil sé deacair é sin a chur ar stáitse os comhair slua, na mothúcháin sin a nochtadh?
"Tá sé deacair, ach sin an croí den amharclannaíocht. That’s what it’s all about. Connecting with people and going on that little roller-coaster of emotions and doing it together. That’s the heart of theatre agus is breá liom é sin."
Na cnámha atá i gceist – an é gur ionta go gcoimeádann tú sprid do shinsear?
"Ní hea ach faoin mbéaloideas agus féile na Samhna. B’as an Chláir do mhuintir mo mháthair agus bhí an-spéis aici sa Bhean Sídhe and the ideas of rituals and folklore associated with death."
"I was interested to hear that in ancient times people used to bury the bones of their ancestors in their houses chun iad a chosaint agus a choimeád slán. Séard tá á dhéanamh agamsa sa seó ná go mbraithim gur mise coimeádaí na gcnámha acu."
"First of all you can recognise patterns between different people in your family, like, my grandfather’s waistcoat fits me perfectly. Mar sin braithim go bhfuilim a iompar sna cnámha agam féin."
"So I use a bone to commemorate each person. Because I love skeletons as well! I love bones. Mar go mbím á dtarraingt chomh maith san ealaín agam agus faoi na cineálacha rudaí gur maith liom líníocht a dhéanamh ortha."
"There’s a lot of stuff in the bag but it’s enjoyable at the same time."
Ach ní do leanaí?
"Well if you have a young teenager who’s thinking about it a lot it would be appropriate for them ach is do daoine fásta é i ndáiríre toisc an téama. And I think it might even be enjoyed by older people, more than younger people."
"But because it’s theatrical story-telling it’s very entertaining. They’re the themes we’re dealing with – ní seó phuipéad do pháistí atá i gceist an uair seo!"
A new original piece from Púca for adults, The Holding Bones is a fitting celebration of Samhain, All Soul’s and The Day of the Dead.
At this time of year, they say, the veil between our world and the next is at its thinnest. Once we would have set an extra place at the table, left the door unlocked and lit a candle for each of our loved lost kin at Halloween and remembered our dearly departed throughout the month of November.
Writer / Performer Niamh Lawlor, Director Emma Finegan, Production Manager, Stage Management and Operation Aimee Crilly, Lighting Design Colin Doran, Producer Púca Puppets.
Cruthaithe i gcomhpháirt le Dramaturg / Stiúrthóir Veronica Coburn; Ealaíontóir Lian Bell; Cumadóireacht ceoil agus fuaime Sinead Diskin.
Beidh The Holding Bones ar siúl in Amharclann an Civic i dTamhlacht ón 30 Deireadh Fómhar agus ina dhiaidh sin ag Ionad Ealaíne Mermaid, i mBré ar an 12ú Samhain, in Ionad Ealaíne Riverbank, sa Droichead Nua ar an 14ú Samhain agus i Leabharlann an LexIcon i nDún Laoghaire ar an 15ú augs 17ú Samhain.
