BY MARTIN CLAFFEY
A HUSBAND and wife theatre company have brought their latest production Taboo to Cork, a dark comedy about a first date.
Taboo opened at the Cork Arts Theatre Club on November 21st and runs until November 25th. Jenny Fennessy from Ballysaggart in Waterford and Dylan Kennedy from Glenville in Co Cork have put their own stamp on the dating scene with their new show, where a first date falls apart over a three-course meal.
‘In the modern world of online dating, it’s partly about finding honesty and connection in the real world,’ says Dylan.
‘It’s written by John Morton from Kilkenny and it’s a dark comedy but it’s got quirky characters and it’s good craic and thought-provoking,’ says Jenny. ‘By the time they get to the third course, there is nothing left but to reveal their most authentic selves.’
Jenny fondly recalls learning her way on the acting scene on a famed West Cork stage almost 20 years ago. She originally started acted with amateur drama group Brideview in Tallow, performing in Jim Nolan’s play Moonshine at the drama festival in Rossmore in 2005.
‘We won the confined all-Ireland that year and Jim Nolan came to see Moonshine and offered me a part in my first professional play 'The Salvage Shop',’ says Jenny. From there her career as an actor took off.
She and Dylan met acting in a play together in 2008. ‘We were in a show together playing schoolkids on the back of a bus,’ says Dylan. The show went on tour for 16 weeks, and the romance took off from there. Acting took the pair to London, where they worked at the National, Barbican, Donmar, Royal Shakespeare Company, National Theatre of Scotland, before deciding to come home to Ireland.
Most of their professional work done in London, so sometimes it was difficult to establish themselves in Ireland, so they decided to do things from themselves. ‘You can’t just sit around waiting for the phone to ring,’ says Jenny.
They set up their own theatre company in 2018. With Dylan from Cork and Jenny being from Waterford, they set up the aptly-named Red ‘n Blue Theatre Company in 2018.
‘We pretty much do everything ourselves, with help from family, down to bringing the set around in my dad’s cattle box,’ says Jenny.
Lovesong was their debut production, which sold out the Cork Arts Theatre and Garter Lane in Waterford, going on to win five Waterford News and Star Green Room Award nominations, including Best Play, Best Director, Outstanding Event of the Year and won best supporting actor and actress awards.
Their second production The Flags was equally well received and had an excellent response from Cork Arts Theatre and Garter Lane, and achieved theatre award success.
Taboo goes to Fermoy next month after its run in the Cork Arts Theatre. Hopefully it won’t be too long before Jenny returns to West Cork to perform with a Red ‘n’ Blue production heading west!
https://corkartstheatre.com/event/taboo/
Fermoy tickets: https://willwego.com
