Clare Monnelly is an award-winning writer and actor from Dublin. You may recognise her as Fidelma from Sky One's Moone Boy, or Mary from Alison Spittle’s Nowhere Fast, but she is also a theatre-maker and screenwriter.
Below, she introduces her new play Super-Bogger, which will be performed by her creative and real-life partner Aaron Monaghan across the country this November and December.
A few years ago, my husband, the actor and director Aaron Monaghan, came to me with the idea of putting Ireland’s first superhero on stage. But not just any superhero. A middle aged, stay at home Dad, small town superhero.
People often ask us with worried looks on their faces what it’s like to work so closely with each other as husband and wife. But honestly, I think it’s our very own superpower. There is no requirement for politeness or beating around the bush – our shorthand as partners in everything means the work is efficient and to the point. And under the keen eye of director Emily Foran, audiences are in for a serious superhero rollercoaster with Super-Bogger.
We meet Barry West as he finds himself, almost entirely against his will, back in his hometown of Ballyeen. He had no intention of ever returning here, but an unexpected job loss and the head hunting of his wife by the local tech firm lands him squarely back in the place he ran away from all those years ago. The pressures of 3 very loud kids, a slightly useless local therapist and his best pal Badger drawing back into the world of GAA are mounting when an encounter with an unusual fox sees him beginning to display unexpected powers.
You may not be Barry, but you most certainly know a Barry. Everyone does.
Barry begins to sideline all the realities of home life to figure out what's really going on in this seemingly normal small town, leading him to Ballyeen’s leading employer, Lakefield Tech and bringing him face to face with his childhood archnemesis Declan Power. Will he uncover the origins of that fox? What is Declan up to in that factory? And how far will Barry go to avoid opening up to his therapist?!
Aaron Monaghan is one of Ireland's finest performers. Watching him bring the world of Ballyeen to life is an utter joy and between playing out entire football matches and full-blown superhero battles, he is bringing such craic and energy to this show. Between his performance, Emily’s direction and our amazing creative team’s dynamic and vibrant design, audiences around the country are in for a serious night in the theatre.
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Listen: Inside Super-Bogger on RTÉ Arena
We have also roped in some of the cream of Irish acting talent to lend their voices to the show. Populating the town of Ballyeen are Rory Nolan, Cathy Belton, Clare Barrett and Sarah Morris to name a few.
The first play Aaron and I worked on together was the one-woman show Charlie’s a Clepto. I performed this incredibly fast-paced, funny and very Dublin show in 18 venues around the country and the response was incredible. It taught me that once you create recognisable, believable characters for an audience, you can take them anywhere. No matter how outlandish the story, if you have heart, humour and truth in your work, it will resonate with people. Super-Bogger feels like a brother piece to Charlie. You may not be Barry, but you most certainly know a Barry. Everyone does.
Super-Bogger plays the Town Hall Theatre Cavan, Roscommon Arts Centre, Backstage Theatre Longford, Droichead Arts Centre and the Mick Lally Theatre Galway from the 22nd of November to the 4th of December - find out more here.
