Solstice - A Strange Annunciation

Rose Lawless shares two one-woman stories in the town hall inspired by Newgrange.

The first, A Strange Annunciation, tells the tale of a modern day Solstice journey. This takes place on Saturday 9th November at 3pm.

The second, Bog Beauty, relates the story of a cathartic Equinox moment in the Pandemic of 2020. This takes place on Sunday 10th November at 3pm.

These are two separate works that are complimentary to each other. They can be viewed separately or as a series. Each must be booked separately.

At 7pm after both plays, as a special event, Rose invites the audience to visit her home which she has transformed into an art installation called Newgrange Chapel. The capacity on this post show event is very limited and a separate ticket is required (see below).

1. Solstice - A Strange Annunciation.

Filia Clowne is a painter who lives in Bray.
She has a problem. She cannot sleep at night.

In 2018, she goes to an exhibition inspired by Newgrange in a local gallery. She connects with the artist’s vision of spirals and fire symbols and is moved by ancient Ireland’s quest in the depths of Winter for the light of the Solstice.

The same week she finds a painting of A Strange Annunciation in a charity shop.

Medieval Mary seems to be be very put out by the Visitation of the Angel Gabriel.

In fact, as Filia and her friend Cathy joke, she seems to be telling the angel to ‘f off.’

So begins a series of strange coincidences, where every significant person Filia meets is called Gabriel.

They all seem to be leading her into a new adventure with some very unlikely characters:

Diarmaid, the grouch, who can barely conceal his dislike for her.

Ollie, the rockabilly with pyro-maniacal tendencies.

Sean, the homeless man who carries his home like a snail, and who quietly has insights of wisdom for his town, and for the world.

Like Medieval Mary in the painting, Filia is dragged into this new adventure with dubious enthusiasm.

She would like to tell these new friends and dodgy Gabriels to ‘f off.’

But when she is asked to paint murals on the old doors of Bray by another Gabriel, the synchronicities grow more alarming.

She realises she is on some kind of Celtic Vision Quest.

The art work on the murals is inspired by the spirals of Newgrange, but because of the strange pursuit of the Annunciation picture, it also reveals a Christian vision.

The two historical beliefs seem linked in purpose. They both bring promise of new life.

The mural work connects Filia with local school children, homeless people, casino gamblers, and others on the streets of the town whom she’d otherwise never have met.

And as her sleepless nights blare on, her strange new friends begin to reveal themselves as key holders in her quest for peace.

And true Solstice light.

Link to second Newgrange show: 2. Equinox - Bog Beauty

About Rose Lawless

Rose wrote her first play, ‘The Romantics’ at age 20 and produced it in a warehouse on Dublin’s Liffey. She studied acting in Focus theatre’s Stanislavsky studio. She became a comic and was a finalist in BBC Newcomer’s Comedy awards and Channel 4’s So You think You’re Funny. She then found her voice in the theatrical art of cabaret, writing and delivering comedic, political and poetic songs with her troupe, ‘The Fallen Angels.’ They won Best Show in the Spiegeltent
in the Dublin Fringe. 

She yearly performs Molly Bloom from Joyce’s Ulysses, in venues like the Joyce’s fictional Sweny’s pharmacy, The Mermaid Arts Centre and the Irish president’s Áras an Uachtaráin. She studied art in BAEC and has painted murals on Bray’s Albert Walk. For this show, she has created an autobiographical art installation in her home called, ‘Newgrange Chapel.’ She has worked with the Yarn Festival on three previous occasions: With her cabaret show, and with two other one-woman ‘Yarns,’ The Sunflower and the Lion, and A Strange Annunciation.