Multi-award-winning play Eggsistentialism returns to Limerick

Eggsistentialism returns mixing animation with a stand-up, monologue and hilarious recorded interjections from her mother, Eggsistentialism takes a light-hearted but unflinching look at one of life’s most compelling dilemmas.

Multi-award-winning play Eggsistentialism returns to Limerick

This November, Limerick-born writer/performer, Joanne Ryan, brings her multi-award-winning, funny, tender and moving play, Eggsistentialism on a 10-venue national tour. Fresh from critically-acclaimed runs in Dublin, London, Edinburgh, Malaysia, Cyprus and an award-winning tour in Australia, Eggsistentialism is a comedic piece of new Irish writing; an autobiographical journey charting the madcap odyssey Irish writer/performer Joanne Ryan embarked upon whilst trying to decide whether or not to have a child while looking down the barrel of her final fertile years and through the prism of Ireland’s reproductive health history.

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Mixing animation with a stand-up, monologue and hilarious recorded interjections from her mother, Eggsistentialism takes a light-hearted but unflinching look at one of life’s most compelling dilemmas: should making a life for oneself involve making another?

With a playful, inventive approach to both text and form, the show tackles serious subjects like the social and personal implications of procreation, overpopulation and the endemic gender inequalities in parenting and childcare with a compelling personal anchor and light, comedic touch.

There is no doubt that Joanne’s subject is becoming increasingly topical with more and more men and women across the world facing the same predicament. Despite the constant social, cultural and even constitutional pressure on people to procreate, we are waiting longer and longer to start families and increasingly deciding that we don’t need or want to have children at all. It is estimated that a fifth of women in Ireland and a quarter of women in the UK in their reproductive years now will never become mothers. In Japan, adult nappies outsell baby nappies!

In an innovative move, Ryan is offering 6 parent-friendly Babes in Arms performances as part of the tour, providing a relaxed show atmosphere for parents/carers with babies under one. “The response from participating theatres has been overwhelming,” says Joanne. “I am delighted to offer these special performances and we will do everything we can to make adults and babies feel welcome and comfortable. I’m thrilled to be able to pilot this series and help to make the theatre more accessible for parents.”

Winner of a Lustrum Award, The Melbourne Fringe Tour Ready Award, Sydney Fringe’s Critics’ Pick Award, Best Storytelling Bouquet at Edinburgh Festival and nominated for Best Performance at Melbourne Fringe. “Close to a masterpiece; intelligent, thoughtful, wry, funny and above all loving.” The Sunday Independent 

November, Friday 29 at 12 pm and 8 pm at the Belltable. Tickets are available from €18/€16. Directed by Veronica Coburn.

For booking information click here.

For more stories on upcoming shows on in limerick click here.