After seeing Marie Jones’ sell-out success Mistletoe and Crime last year, we couldn’t wait to see what her latest show Fly Me To The Moon had to offer.
Playing at the Lyric Theatre in Belfast until the 22nd August, this is a story that combines heart, comedy and the social nuances that only a Northern Irish audience can truly appreciate.
Through the course of the evening we meet Frances and Loretta (played by Katie Tumelty and Tara Lynne O’Neil), two community care visitors who are forced to climb aboard an ethical roller-coaster when Davy, one of their elderly charges has a win on the horses and then passes away on their shift. Do they take the money? Do they leave it? What if the neighbours see or the peelers find out?
In traditional Marie Jones style, this is a story all about people, Frances and Loretta could be any number of people you know, from your best friend to the girls you see down the shops. It’s this authenticity of character that makes the whole thing so charming. Despite the fact that Frances’ ‘wee son’ sells dodgy DVDs and Loretta’s hubby is addicted to daytime gameshows we can’t help but fall in love with them as people because they’re just so relatable. The set is pretty much an entire bedsit on stage meaning you can’t help but get sucked into their world of wheelchairs and Meals on Wheels.
There-in lies the comedy. The humour comes mainly from the familiar Belfast or ‘Norn Iron’ sayings that we all recognise and know. This isn’t a laugh-a-minute joke telling bonanza, but rather a humorous scenario as a whole. More gentle humour than anything else, but still entirely enjoyable as Katie and Tara embody these characters perfectly.
To find out more information click here or to book tickets for the show click here.
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