Baby – Bewley’s Cafe Theatre – Review
by Frank L.

Baby – Written by Lianne O’Hara

The set is part of a kitchen, replete with a large table and two smaller ones. There is also a small oven, partially hidden. Into this domestic haven, Camilla (Roseanna Purcell) is about to make a cake, and from the start, the subject on her mind is eggs. They are a necessary ingredient for a traditional cake. Eggs make her reflect on her own status as a single woman of 36 years of age, who has avoided having a baby for a variety of reasons. But her biological clock is ticking, and maybe she might want to have a baby one day, but not just yet. She then relates some of her sexual past and gives consideration to her options, including sperm banks. Eventually, a friend suggests she might have her eggs frozen. All the while she continues to make the cake, she pops it into the oven and more than once sticks a skewer into it to see if it is done.

In this hour-long comic piece, O’Hara deftly describes the challenges Camilla faces as a single woman intending to have a baby. Camilla also gradually becomes aware that the decision will become one that is no longer hers to make. Notwithstanding the various challenges which every option raises in how to become pregnant and with whom, O’Hara’s text emphasises the enormity of the decision which faces Camilla.

Into this demanding piece of theatre, Purcell gives a master class in comic delivery. The various procedures involved in baking a cake provide a complementary backdrop for the possible routes Camilla may choose to travel. As a result, along the way, she gives one or two details of her sexual experiences with male partners. She lets the comedy shine through.

The dilemma which Camilla faces is a serious one and one which many young women face. Giving the dilemma a good comic twist helps to create a purposeful conversation about the topic. The play won the Little Gem Award in the Dublin Fringe Festival 2024 and will tour four venues outside Dublin in May and June. It is a topic that needs to be discussed. Putting it into a fun piece of theatre will greatly help. Baby is indeed a little gem.

CAST AND CREW

WRITTEN BY: Lianne O’Hara
DIRECTED BY: Liam Halligan
PERFORMED BY: Roseanna Purcell
SET & LIGHTING DESIGN: Eoin Lennon
SOUND DESIGNER: Denis Clohessy​
STAGE MANAGER: Aoife Cronin
GRAPHIC DESIGN: Gavin Doyle