Baboró and Branar Téatar do Pháistí, with funding from Galway County Arts Office, are delighted to announce the awarding of bursaries to two Galway based artists. The bursaries will support the artists with the development of their current work.
Neasa Ní Chuanaigh, a puppeteer and actor from Spiddal, is developing 'My Worry Monster', the tale of a girl in a colourful world, who loves to sing but meets a little monster she can't ignore. Emma O'Grady, a Galway based theatre artist, actor, writer and production manager, is developing 'Pure Misery', a theatre show with live music about being miserable.
Emma O'Grady
Emma O’Grady is a Galway-based theatre artist, actor, writer and production manager. She collaborates with people to create theatre, film and art inspired by true events, real lives and shared histories. She was co-director of Mephisto with Caroline Lynch 2006-2014. Her first play 'What Good is Looking Well When You're Rotten on the Inside?' - based on tapes her grandfather recorded just before he died - was produced to critical acclaim in 2017 and continues to tour. She is a participant on Druid FUEL 2021 and recipient of an Arts Council Theatre Bursary 2020.
Pure Misery
'Pure Misery' is a theatre show with live music about being miserable. It's about feeling all the 'bad' emotions, embracing the saddest stories and wading through the most unfair, hurtful things in life. Along the way we will unravel platitudes like “A problem shared is a problem halved”, “Laughter is the best medicine” and “turn that frown upside down”. There might be no happy ending, but we will laugh all the way through. Emma will develop the piece with young writer Rudi Jordan, composer Anthony Hanley and director Cillian O’Donnachadha. 'Pure Misery' was part of the Branar Tiny Shows Residency in Aug 2020.
Neasa Ní Chuanaigh
Neasa is a puppeteer and actor from Spiddal in the Gaeltacht of Connemara, Co. Galway. Neasa was introduced to acting at a very young age and she continued her passion through a university degree at Trinity College, Dublin. Neasa works regularly with Branar Theatre Company and has over 10 years experience working with theatre for children and young adults. She has worked worldwide and performed on stages such as the New Victory Theatre (Broadway) The Southbank Centre (London) and SHCAT (Shanghai).
Recently Neasa has been part of 'How To Catch a Star' (Branar), 'The Way Back Home' (Branar/Teatar Refleksion), 'Fiach' (Fíbín) and 'Sruth na Teanga' (Branar). You can also catch her on the television playing the part of Soina in TG4s soap 'Ros na Rún'.
My Worry Monster
My Worry Monster tells the tale of a girl in a colourful world, who loves to sing. She is a happy bubbly girl and like any other morning she hops out of bed to start her today – but today feels a little different. She meets something, a little monster and things start to change. At first, she forgets he is there, but he does his best to catch full her attention. The more she tries to ignore it the more it grows.
Eventually, she loses her voice, and the colour drains from her world, until she deals with her situation head on. What does she do when this monster stops her from doing her tasks. He grows and grows. What will happen to both of them?
Using innovative techniques like puppetry, projected cartoons, live music, and soundscape we are excited to tell a magical and touching story of this courageous girl.
