Minseach – Project Arts Centre – Review
12-13 December 2023

The word Minseach is the Irish for a she goat. We meet our she goat in the form of Sibéal Davitt, our solo performer for the evening. This production is an attempt by Sibéal to fuse a variety of worlds. It aims to bring sean-nós dancing into the modern age and also give the audience an insight into her own life.

This production was originally part of the Dublin Fringe Festival in 2021 at Draíocht Theatre, Blanchardstown. This is a chance to see the production in a theatre in the city centre.

The stage is unorthodox and not what you would expect for a performance of traditional Irish sean-nós dancing. There are various raised platforms on the stage, along with a screen towards the back. What appears to be audio tape hangs from above, shimmering in the light.

Sinéad Diskin is responsible for the Sound Design and Composition. The music Sibéal dances to is mostly percussion-based, but as she says herself, she loves dancing to the music of Cormac Begley and he is featured twice during the performance. She talks directly to the audience at several stages, showing us the basic step and then expanding on it in different more flamboyant directions.

There is an audio-visual element as we see sections of the reality TV show in which Sibéal Davitt performed. She was the winner of Glas Vegas on TG4 back in 2009. She looked nervous on stage as the judges gave their opinion of her, one even calling her a ‘Cailín Álainn’ or Beautiful Girl, which did give a feel of Father Ted!

What really comes across during the production is the warmth of the performer. She does not hide her personality and we feel we get to know her, or a version of her, during the production. With traditional Irish music from bands and performers like Lankum and John Francis Flynn becoming more mainstream, this is an attempt to reclaim another part of our Irish Heritage and show it to the world with a modern slant. During the production, Sibéal mentions several reviews of her work that use the word ‘sexy’ and it’s an obvious statement to make. The piece moves sean-nós dancing away from our preconceived notions to something quite modern. It is a provocative and daring production, that will change many people’s opinions on what sean-nós dancing is.

Cast & Crew:
Choreography and Performer – Sibéal Davitt
Sound Design and Composition – Sinéad Diskin
Set and Costume Design – Molly O’Cathain
Lighting Design – Suzie Cummins
Associate Sound Designer – Martha Knight
Associate Set and Costume Designer – LaurA Fajardo Castro
Chief LX / Relighter – Archer Bradshaw
Stage Manager – Grace Donnery
Production Manager – Emily Long
Producers – Sophie Coote and Carla Rogers