There can be no udder...
'Charolais' at Townhall Cavan, 20th February 2016
Described by the Irish Times as “a comedic performance that jumps between a resentful, distressed woman and an overtly sexual French cow,” Noni Stapleton’s ‘Charolais’ is an age old tale of female rivalry with a new twist: the other woman is a cow - literally - a purebred Charolais heifer.
Written and performed by Stapleton, this award-winning show has garnered a slew of four-star reviews and was produced as a radio play on RTÉ Radio One.
Siobhan’s ‘beef’ is with her boyfriend, a farmer who devotes considerable attention to his prize heifer at the expense of his very pregnant girlfriend. Siobhan has developed a homicidal jealousy for this Charolais and is feeling equally murderous towards her snobbish soon-to-be mother in law. This is a dark comedy of love and longing: rarely in Irish theatre are the challenges of farming life and the joy of sex expressed so frankly or with such charm.
The play was the winner of the ‘Little Gem’ award at the 2014 Dublin Fringe.
‘Charolais’ comes to Townhall Cavan on Saturday, 20 February at 8pm. Tickets are €18/€16 from Multisound Cavan and can be booked on 049-4361312.
Praise for 'Charolais'
“Noni Stapleton’s hilarious take on rural life and love is a paradox: superficially crude, it’s full of wisdom and tenderness, and manages to throw in a fair sprinkling of compassion and forgiveness along the way” Sunday Independent
“The last thing you would expect in an Irish rural drama is a parody of Edith Piaf. But Stapleton, singing ‘La Vie en Rose’ and speaking in Franglais, is all Gallic sexiness, luxuriating in a French accent, and conveying what an unsophisticated Irish girl might not otherwise be able to” ★★★★ Irish Examiner
“A fast-paced, witty, and intensely emotional tale filled with laughter, loss and despair” ★★★★ Irish Times
“Stapleton is a joy to watch and she knows her audience. Love, family and loss all combine at the finish to create a charming piece of theatre. Well worth the venture. A truly enjoyable show” ★★★★ The Public Reviews
“..a testament to Stapleton’s skills as an imaginative and animated storyteller” The Evening.ie
“Often hilarious, spectacularly humane and still keeping the bizarre elements in the mix….Noni Stapleton is a rising star” Cork Evening Echo