Supermarket-based pop opera offers Galwegians a fresh take on love and shopping

Its performance here follows its premiere last month at the Dublin Theatre Festival, where it had a sellout run at the Samuel Beckett Centre.

This dark comedy about a very modern kind of love features Carrie, a lonely young woman who visits the supermarket daily, drawn there by the bright signs, flashing lights and the shiny packaging. The till exerts a particular pull on her.

Eventually she lands her dream job there, and attracts the attention of a lonely lovesick cashier. Initially, she is smitten, but technology intervenes and things get complicated.

‘Hysterically Shopping’ is a collaboration between Dublin companies, Glasshouse Ensemble and Tasteinyourmouth Theatre.

Glasshouse, which marks its 10th anniversary this year, commissions new work and also reimagines popular music from artists ranging from David Bowie to Joni Mitchell. It has brought previous shows to Galway International Arts Festival.

Meanwhile, Tasteinyourmouth, which was founded in 2020, creates experimental and original theatre.

This operatic collaboration was mooted by Glasshouse in 2022, and Aran O’Grady who'd worked with that group previously as an arranger and composer, has written the score.

“They wanted something inspired by pop and I’d done a lot of shows with them,” says Aran who graduated in composition from the Royal Irish Academy and then did a Master’s in Opera Composition at London’s Guildhall.

This combination made him an ideal fit for an opera that has a contemporary feel, with electronic music and pop tunes.

The libretto was written by William Dunleavy, with Grace Morgan (who also directs) and Laoise Murray, who acts in the piece. They kicked off matters by writing 30 minutes of the show and sent it to Aran for a musical response, continuing in that vein until it was completed. They enjoyed the process.

“The show is full of words and a lot of spoken dialogue, with the music underneath providing the undercurrent for the main themes of the show,” says Aran, adding that normally in opera, singing rather than dialogue moves the story along.

There is still plenty of singing, with operatic and pop vocals being performed over an eight-piece live chamber ensemble comprising clarinets, saxophones, French horn, a violin, cello, keyboards/synthesisers and drums.

“Fizzy and poppy,” is Aran’s description of the music. “It’s a bit of fun.”

The cast includes opera singers, a pop singer, a dancer and actor who tell this story of a lonely girl, lovelorn boy and evil boss. It does have a message about consumerism, but “I see it as being more about the individual rather than about consumerism at large. Towards the end, the girl has a realisation that it’s about finding comfort in the basic necessities and that she doesn’t need consumerism”.

This is a show that “doesn’t take itself too seriously, even though it has drama and dark moments”. These mostly centre around the evil boss whom nobody else sees but who appears onstage to give a couple of dramatic monologues, “which become increasingly mad”.

“It’s about being in love with something that’s not real and can’t love you back. We invest so much in stuff that can’t give us anything back in the long run.”

While that’s a valuable message, this “all-dancing and all-singing” show is not about beating audiences over the head, he stresses.

Now living in London, Wicklow man Aran is looking forward to coming to Galway with his mum for the performance here.

He’s involved in various musical projects in England, including working with a local choir as part of a scheme called ‘Adopt a Music Creator’. In conjunction with that group, he’s written a series of traditional-style ballads based on events from local history. He continues to work with Glasshouse on projects and he also has a music-related day job.

“Once I have one project to work on, I’m happy,” he says.

‘Hysterically Shopping’ is at the Town Hall Theatre on October 29, with tickets €25/22 + €1.00 fee from tht.ie, 091-569777 or the box office.