Catherine ready to ‘bother the dead’ in Waterville

Fergus Dennehy talks to Athea native Catherine Cunningham ahead of her upcoming show entitled ‘Bothering The Dead’ in the Tech Amergin Centre in Waterville on Saturday April 13 at 8pm.

AHEAD of her upcoming show, ‘Bothering The Dead’ which will take place in the Tech Amergin centre in Waterville this Saturday night at 8pm, we think it’s safe - for one night only - to claim Athea native Catherine Cunningham as one of our own here in Kerry.

With the show described as one full of ‘songs, stories, rants and revelations’, It’s difficult to fully nail down just exactly the show will be about, but one thing is for sure - it will certainly not be boring.

Speaking to Catherine last Thursday, a week out from the show - a show she is billing as “one very unique experience” - she tells me that this will be her first time ever performing in the Tech Amergin and that she is very much looking forward to the show.

As to what people can expect on the night, well I’ll let the show’s creator explain that one in her own words:

“Let’s see, I describe it as an exploration of how religion and education and culture, how they all influence how we all see and relate to the world and how these conditions can mimic and corrupt our image of who we really are in this world,” said Catherine.

“It’s stories that connect between songs. Stories that tell the narrative, if you want. I’m sort of somewhere between cabaret and singer/songwriter and theatre.”

“It’s not acting per se, it’s not old-fashioned storytelling but it is an interwoven piece that goes into song. Some of the stories are carried into song and so on,” she continued.

With a description like “As the song unfolds, she rapidly finds herself mired in a world of liars, emperors, sorcerers and astronauts – with an interventionist granny hovering in the background,” this is definitely peaks the curiosity enough to make attending

With such a heavy-sounding show, I ask Laura what kind of mood can visitors expect to be in leaving the theatre afterwards.

“The show is a mixture of things. It’s irreverent. It’s definitely very mischievous but it’s also very serious. It is looking at how religion influences how we relate to the world and ourselves and it’s also looking at what’s actually happening in the world and how we’re destroying it basically and how we’re passing on a very impoverished planet to the next generation,” said Catherine.

“It’s definitely a mixture of heavy and light-hearted topics but hopefully they will leave having enjoyed the night. The response has been very good so far,” she said.

Apart from her show, Catherine is currently fundraising to help cover the costs of the production of her CD and book about the show.

“At this point, I’ve just finished in the recording studio, but I still need to pay for CD duplication, graphic design and the printing of an accompanying booklet which I hope will bridge some of the ground between the show and the CD.”

There are still tickets available to see Catherine’s show in the Tech Amergin this Saturday on the website or on the door on the night so if you are in and around the area, why not pop in?

It’d not old fashioned storytelling but it is an interwoven piece that goes into song.

Catherine Cunningham said that she is very excited to be bringing her ‘Bothering The Dead’ show to the Tech Amergin in Waterville on Saturday April 13 at 8pm.