Dec 24, 2024
Nov 20,2024
Donegal actor Lórcan Strain (AKA MarianMarythe6th) brings their acclaimed Dublin Fringe show Songs Of Theys back to the capital this December, for a run at Smock Alley Theatre.
Songs Of Theys offers 'a bold celebration of Irish Queer culchie Identity through drag and music', driven by MarianMarythe6th's bold mix of humour, emotion, and political commentary,
When they're not bringing their unique brand of cabaret to stages nationwide, Lórcan's been busy acting in shows like Xnthony's Oliver Cromwell is Really Very Sorry, Enda Walsh's Safehouse, and a UK tour of Marie Jones's smash Stones In Their Pockets.
We asked Lorcan for their choice cultural picks...
FILM
I haven't been the to cinema in a few months, but I am actually heading to the Lighthouse in Smithfield (my fave), this week with my pal to see Anora, Sean Baker's, new film. His films are usually about the lives of marginalized people, especially immigrants and sex workers... whats not to love? Anora tells the story of a young sex worker from Brooklyn, who meets and impulsively marries the son of an oligarch. Once the news reaches Russia, her fairytale is threatened as the parents set out for New York to get the marriage annulled.
TV
MUSIC
I don't care what they say, Chappell Roan owns my ears at the minute. I am just jealous that I am not her. I can really relate to the small-town girl moving to the city with a dream. Except I don't hear any southern drawl calling me a thousand miles away, instead I hear my mammy's Northern drawl saying "Awk what have you done wee pet?"
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BOOK
My friend Cara (AKA Madonna Kebab) is a gorgeous Gaelgóir and she is helping me learn Irish at the moment. Over the weekend, we went back to her house after a few hot whiskeys and she recited poems from a book called Dána by Julie Field, AKA Julie Goo from Cork. The poems are mostly about empathy and understanding. If you're like me you might need to "tóg amach an foclóir" to get through it, but I would 10/10 recommend to anyone at any level of Irish.
Another book I loved this year is Séamas O'Reilly's Did Ye Hear Mammy Died? He is the youngest of 10 siblings, on the Donegal/Derry border in the 90's, whose mother passes away. It was so relatable! It's one of those books that has you laughing on one page and crying into the next. I read it when I was travelling with my family, so you can imagine the entertainment they got from my dynamic emotional state!
THEATRE
Safehouse by Enda Walsh and Anna Mullarkey was one of the best shows I've seen this year. Kate Gilmore is at the top of her game as Grace, a young woman living in an alleyway in the west of Ireland. It delves into her ruined childhood, her present destitution, the misuse and abuse that have marked her sad and lonely life. It was about her struggle but mostly about her resistance. Kate is like the love child of Sinead O'Connor and Bjork, serving some iconic vocals! I even have a wee cameo in the show, playing Graces ex boyfriend in the stunning AV by Jack Phelan.
TV
I don't really watch TV unless I'm at home in Donegal watching a BBC crime drama with my Mam, however I have been rewatching Buffy The Vampire Slayer. It feels strange watching it freely as an adult. I don't know how, but I knew it was queer coded when I was younger. I would watch it with a blanket over the TV and the volume down as low as possible so that when someone came in they would know I was watching any "gay things". My inner child is being healed one episode at a time.
GIG
The last gig I was at was Christeen's The Lion, The Witch and The Cobra in the National Concert Hall. Christene is an underground queer musician/performance artist whos punk theatrics have been described as "beyonce on bath salts" . The gig was inspirational, she spoke loads about the importance of ritual, the importance of resistance, how we all need to stand together in these trying times; all to the backing track of my favourite Sinead O'Connor album. She was joined on stage by David Hoyle and Peaches. It was a night of pure queer joy!
The next gig I'm looking forward to is my mate SexyTadhg's Television, which will be on in Smock Alley Theatre in December. Get to see them before you can't afford to. They'll be selling out arenas next year.
ART
An artist I'm really loving at the minute is Brian Maguire. I saw some of his work years ago but now he has an exhibiton on in Hugh Lane Gallery called La Grande Illusion. If you're in Dublin it is definitely worth a look. His expressionist paintings address issues of social injustice and malfunction, very important with the genocide happening in the Middle East.
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PODCAST/RADIO
I love listening to Highland Radio when I am at home, not because of the content, mostly for the nostalgia. I could talk about Blindboy again because his is a podcast that I listen to religiously but another two podcasts I try and get everyone addicted to is Shooting the Breeze with the Wild Geeze and The Doomslayers Podcast - both very queer and very charming in their own ways. Nice easy listening with a laugh!
TECH
I am not a tech person (can we call them that?) at all. Is it cool to say the app I'm using most at the minute is HelloFresh? It's great. You can select your meals for the week and they get delivered to your door. I love cooking but I can be really lazy when it comes to creativity in the kitchen. These guys do the recipe for you and give you the fresh ingredients, so you're cooking something new everyday but you don't have to think about it. My waste levels have gone down so much too!
THE NEXT BIG THING...
Can I say myself? No, I jest. I Have been thinking this for a while, and maybe its a hot take, but I think the next big thing will be sobriety. A lot of my friends done a dry month and most decided to stick with it after. A lot of younger people don't drink and with the cost of living nobody can afford it. My niece is 20 and her and her friends drink water on nights out and I'm glad to see it. Maybe I'll swap my Guinness for a 0.0 in the new year.
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Songs Of Theys is at Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin from 6th -11th of December - find out more here.
