Brighton Fringe Review
History of Ireland
By Moxie Brawl/Sarah Blanc
Spiegeltent 13 May 2019
Three glamourous contestants compete for the prestigious title of the Rose of Tralee. This play follows the farcical antics of the contestants and the rather egotistical host, satirising the beauty pageant but interspersed with facts about the struggle of Irish women through the ages.
It deals with the oppression of women as nuns, and by nuns, and the recent campaign to stop abortion being illegal (as it still is in Northern Ireland).
Famous characters from the 1st Century St Bridgit to the 90s pop band Bewitched are name checked.
The fight for independence features strongly and the story of the women of the 1916 Easter Uprising is put into song.
This is a whistlestop tour and many of the stories are referred to rather than explained. I felt a lot was skimmed over and the issues were hinted at rather than explored.
Maybe that was inevitable when trying to condense such a huge subject into a hectic but amusing hour and twenty minutes.
A handy print out was left on each seat though which explains a bit more about some of the historical characters.
The show was great fun and the performers were brilliant. They created a great atmosphere in the Spiegeltent which is always a fun place to watch a show.
I felt I learnt a bit about Irish history and the role of women but on the whole I had a great time and enjoyed a really fun night out.
