Mary McAleese and Marty Whelan paint town Red
If you obey all the rules, Katharine Hepburn once said, you miss all the fun. Be that as it may, the odd rule never hurt anyone. Take last Wednesday at the Gate, for instance.
The rule of thumb was, evidently, if you’re going to the new show The Red Shoes (Nancy Harris’s new take on Hans Christian Andersen’s classic), don’t wear mascara — because you’ll be laughing and crying so much. That goes for the men, too.
And there is another rule. Do wear red shoes.
Many of the audience for the opening night of The Red Shoes last week did — and that goes for the men, too.
Enjoying this lifeenhancing mix of vaudeville, Brecht and ballet at the Gate was the creme de la creme of Dublin cultural society — including former President Mary McAleese and her husband Martin, Michelin-starred chef Ross Lewis of Chapter One with his daughter Molly, plus arts entrepreneur Kathy Gilfillan, broadcaster Marty Whelan and his daughter Jessica.
This is to say nothing of the many stars of screen and stage Cathy Belton, Seana Kerslake, and Mark Huberman (yes, Amy’s brother) to name but a few.
The verdict was unanimous.
It was a triumph, particularly Ireland’s national treasure Rosaleen Linehan’s rendition of her heartrending song Invisible.
Stop me before I turn into Emer O’Kelly. And yes — she thought it was super too.