This Halloween, Mime will take centre-stage in West Clare, as the mime theatre group Cata Isle perform their debut show in Kilrush. This mime trio started after Astrid Adler, an experienced mime actress, held mime lessons for Alan McNamara and Joost Bos, funded and supported by the Arts Council. The result became a mime and physical theatre show, inspired by the works of the celebrated Marcel Marceau, Michel Courtemanche and “Mummenschanz”. The production is an innovative combination of mime and simple props, for example, turning buckets into strange machines and creatures. The show will take place in Kilrush’s NatureQuest Gallery in Burton Street, a venue recently known to host several visual and musical artists. Each member of Cata Isle comes from a rich acting and performance background.
Astrid Adler got hooked on mime when Marcel Marceau visited her school in Germany when she was eleven. She went on to become a member of the mime group Theatre Tartaruga, performing in theatres, theatre festivals and children’s TV programs, while teaching various workshops in mime. After emigrating to Ireland, Astrid has continued her work, performing and winning awards in parades , and performing with theatre groups and bringing her unique talents to community and physical theatre events around West Clare.
Alan McNamara is a recent drop in to West Clare. He took took up professional acting 15 yrs ago and has gone on to perform in various plays around Dublin such as John Boyd’s The Flats,Thomas Murray’s Autumn Fire , Ibsen’s Master builder, Camus’s The Just and Checkov’s The Propasal. For 2 yrs Alan was a killer and drug dealer called “Lar” in Fair City and the same type of character in the Irish feature film “ Flick”. He was a Kerry sheep herder in the film “Durango” and has had various roles in lots of short films such as the award winning “The Black Suit “ an “ Immaculate Conception “ and “ Choppers “. Alan has played percussion for the Irish Arts Centre in N.Y. , for Merlin and “Daze of Plays” at the Sam Beckett theatre in Trinity College, The “Big Bang “ the Temple Bar Viking Adventure and “The Gold of Tradaree”
Joost Bos is still in secondary school but has already participated in several theatrical productions. Most notably, he has starred in the Kilrush Choral Society’s 2007 production of Oliver! as Oliver Twist, and more recently in Crack’d Spoon Theatre Company’s physical theatre production The Trip in 2008. You may also know him for the punk rock radio show he hosts for the local radio station in Kilkee on Fridays. The way this lad is going we can look forward to seeing him in many and varied productions around West Clare in the near future.
Cata Isle’s production promises an exciting, entertaining and tantalising way to spend your Halloween night. All the family, young and old, are welcome. The Premiere will take place on 31st October, doors open at 7:30 pm and curtain at 8:00 pm. The Matinee will take place the following day, 1st November, with doors at 4:30 pm and curtain at 5:00 pm.
The prices are: €8 waged, €5 unwaged/children, and €20 for a family ticket.