Backwards up a Rainbow

The return of Irish theatre is reason to rejoice in itself, but it’s all the more wonderful that one of the early ‘shows’ on its return features one of the true greats of Irish entertainment. 

Rosaleen Linehan started her new show commenting on how she began performing 65 years ago, and how emotional it was to reunite with audiences after the last 18 months’ hiatus. Alongside her son Conor on piano, she then delivered a fabulous look back at her life, punctuated by songs mostly written by her late husband Fergus.

To hear her was to be reminded of how significant she has been for so long: mentioned during the event were, among others, Maureen Potter, Micheál MacLiammóir, Milo O’Shea, Anita Reeves, Seamus Heaney, Joe Dowling, Brian Friel and of course her long-time professional partner Des Keogh. To hear her was also to be astonished not just by her longevity but her current energy and stamina. To hear her was also to be brought along by her range: from her trademark dead-pan humour (that fabulous lower voice) to tender quiet moments, such as the beautiful description of her happiness with Fergus in their New York apartment after performances of Dancing at Lughnasa, watching the Chrysler Building’s lights go off at 1.30am. We also got, of course, the famous ‘Soap your Arse’, which provides the show with its title, and reminders of how fine a ‘serious’ actor she has been: a monologue from Lughnasa’s Kate, Feste’s final song from Twelfth Night (a production I saw).

Conor Linehan is a world-class pianist, and he performed perfectly, including a couple of tunes in memory of Peter O’Brien (Macushla, Scott Joplin), but mostly accompanying his mother with evident enjoyment and affection.

Above all it was an evening that seemed to heal: two superb performers and an audience that has been starved of live events for so long. At one point Rosaleen Linehan spoke directly and without euphemism about her deep grief and distress following Fergus’s death in 2016. She said that performing brought her back to life then, and Backwards is helping bring theatre back to life right now.

END

[Backwards Up A Rainbow continues at the Pavilion Theatre in Dun Laoghaire until September 26, and can then be seen on demand until October 10].