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We need to find a way of talking about the Irish language… About the sublime beauty and profound oddness of this ancient tongue (that has been spoken on the island for 2,500-3,000 years), which is now slipping slowly from our grasp.
What can the word for the lonesomeness of a cow bereft of her calf – diadhánach – teach us about our current methods of food production? Why does one need to orientate oneself to the sun to give directions in Irish? To what degree is the Otherworld embedded in words for cancer? What’s the word for the sound horses make when they meet after an absence?
Arán Agus Im (Bread and Butter) is a theatrical performance in which Manchán Magan bakes sourdough bread while offering insights into the wonders of the Irish language. During the show, he’ll explore potent words of landscape, terms of intuition and insight alongside phrases that bring the mysterious glory of our natural world to life.
The show is a celebration of language, land and local Irish food. It invites audiences to slice freshly-baked traditional sourdough bread and to spread it with butter they’ve churned from Irish cream.
Knowledge of Irish/Gaeilge is not required.
Please note: there is a 5.30pm and an 8pm showing, both on 18 Oct 2024. Ensure you select the correct ticket for the performance you want to attend.
The Liverpool Irish Festival would like to thank The Institute of Irish Studies at University of Liverpool for helping to bring this show to Liverpool.
…………………………………………………………………Manchán Magan: “I just knew that I wanted to take people out of the norm, which is what theatre does. But I didn’t want all the conventions and trappings of theatre, of a three-act play. I imagined creating this little sanctuary on stage in which flour from Irish fields and water from Irish rivers could be transformed into a potent metaphor for our connecting to language, landscape and life.”…………………………………………………………………
Creative Team
Book Now £12/£10conc + Eventbrite booking fee.