Yes! Reflections of Molly Bloom – The New Theatre – Review

Event Dates: 13/06/2023 – 17/06/2023

Yes! Reflections of Molly Bloom is a new adaptation of Ulysses by Aedin Moloney and Colum McCann. As you would expect, it focuses on Molly Bloom, giving her view of the world as she lies in bed waiting for the return of her husband Leopold Bloom. We hear her deepest thoughts and feelings, as she thinks about her husband along with lustful dreams and memories of the men in her life. She has a complex relationship with her husband, she still has a deep affection for Leopold, despite having thoughts of other men.

In this production, Aedin Moloney is on stage alone throughout, barefoot and dressed in a loose-fitting white linen dress. The stage is littered with odds and ends of furniture, with chairs, plinths and other assorted items. Aedin moves between these items, as she recounts the words of Joyce. The only prop she uses is a silk scarf which she drapes over her body and pulls through her arms.

Aedin Moloney is an Irish actress who is mainly based in New York. She is the founder and artistic director of New York’s Fallen Angel Theatre Company, the theatre company that produced this work. She is the daughter of Paddy Moloney, one of the Chieftans. She is known for a variety of TV and Film work, including shows such as The Exorcist and The Knick. She also played Eva Joyce in Nora (2000) which starred Ewan McGregor. Aedin has also appeared regularly on stage, both in Ireland and America.

The play is almost 90 minutes, which is unusually long for a solo performance. It is difficult to concentrate on a monologue for that duration, but Moloney’s performance draws you back in. Moloney is very impressive in the role, she is intense and sensual, filled with energy, compassion and emotion. At times she talks directly to audience members, asking them rhetorical questions, whereas at other moments she is lost in her own reveries. Ulysses is set on June 16th, 1904, so the 119th anniversary is this Friday. This production is an easy way of accessing the most intimidating of books.

Author: Aedin Moloney and Colum McCann
Company: Wild Mountain Flower Productions

Stage Management- Eva Walsh
Lighting Tech – Evan Keogh
Sound Design- Florian Staab
LX Design – Michael O’Connor
Costume Design- Leon Dobkowski
Set Design – Wild Mountain Flower