Have I No Mouth
Theatrical authenticity or the essence of ‘realness’: an often sought after yet highly elusive quality so easily missed in productions. That is except for Dublin based theatre company Brokentalkers’ production of 'Have I No Mouth'. Revived from its original showing at The Dublin Theatre Festival in 2012, it was recently staged once more at The Project Arts Centre for two nights only on the 5th and 6th of May. The piece was devised and performed by Feidlim Cannon (a founding member of Brokentalkers), his mother Ann and their psychotherapist Erich Keller (neither of whom are actors yet take to the stage like ducks to water) and explores mother and sons healing processes in the aftermath of the loss of a close family member, ultimately revealing the subjective nature of memories and ‘truths’. This is live art in its rawest state, as the family’s personal story is brought directly to the audience members by the family themselves. The play exists simultaneously as an ode to the memory of Feidlim’s father and as a brave and relevant piece of theatre in its own right. In the space of one hour the audience takes part in a therapy session; witnesses conflicting memories re-enacted; laughs at a quirky multi-media slide show featuring questionable family snaps (oh dad!) and are brought to the realisation that grief can be worked through. The dead may not talk back but this piece acts as a dialogue and a space for expression, memory, anger, tenderness, laughter and ultimately resolve. If you get the chance to see this performance, don’t let it slip past you: it is heartfelt and it is witty and in true Brokentalkers style, employs brave theatrical images and devices which may appear random but are in fact meticulously thought through.
