Mary, Mary quite contrary
In her short play, I See You (Theatre Upstairs, Lanigan’s,
HHH), Amy de Bhrún has harnessed the stories of two women together to illustrate that a woman’s lot is a tough one. It’s an unequal partnership but a passionate assault on misogyny. Amy plays Lady Mary Heath (1896-1939), originally from Limerick, a successful and feisty woman, who set exceptional standards for women in athletics, science, aviation, business, and in overcoming male prejudice. It’s a great role and de Bhrún makes her a whimsically attractive, intelligent, indefatigable woman. Her only link with the second Mary in the show, played by Roxanna Nic Liam, is that the pregnant Dublin Mary is a naïve girl in a violent relationship afraid to do anything about it, while Lady Mary divorced her first husband claiming he beat her regularly. Yet, undeterred, she married a second time, gaining a title and the money she needed to set herself up as an aviation star. It took a serious injury, marriage to a Trinidadian which shocked her social world, and alcoholism to undo Lady Mary’s career. Yoking the women together as a political statement doesn’t work as neatly as it’s meant to, but the play has plenty of dramatic punch even if it does preach too much. Runs until May 26.