Longford Arts: Cronin and Murfi show Dances Like a Bomb

Few names in theatre guarantee an enjoyable evening as much as Mikel Murfi.

Originally from Sligo, Murfi trained at Ecole Jacques Lecoq, in Paris. His performances in theatre include his critically-acclaimed one-man shows The Man in the Woman’s Shoes, I Hear You and Rejoice and The Mysterious Case of Kitsy Rainey, which completes the masterpiece trilogy chronicling his beloved Sligo through the wanderings of small town cobbler Pat Farnon.

Longford audiences will recall his astonishing contribution to Swan Lake/ Loch na hEala (Teac Damsa), the extraordinary Michael Keegan-Dolan show.

Mikel returns to Longford as part of the multi-award-winning dance innovators, Junk Ensemble, latest production Dances like a Bomb. This is a powerful, uplifting duet exploring ageing and care, blending visceral imagery, dance and music.

This new work brings together Murfi and leading Irish dance artist Finola Cronin (formerly of Pina Bausch’s Tanz Theater Wuppertal) to celebrate the strength and beauty of mature bodies and challenges the cult of youth.

The performers are heroic, vulnerable, comedic, acerbic, and completely themselves. They care fiercely for each other and defend their independence. As they hold each other up and push each other down, the universality of ageing and the ‘performance’ of age is unpacked, alongside the limits of love and care.

Blending visceral imagery, dance, text and music, Dances Like a Bomb is a reclaiming of the ageing body.

Since it was first staged at the end of last year the show has been garnering praise from all who see it.

The must see show Dances Like a Bomb comes to Backstage Theatre, Longford on Tuesday, February 13 at 8pm.

Tickets are available on 043 3347888 or through backstage.ie