Pauline O’Driscoll from Bandon tells us about her one-woman show Jump!? coming back to the Cork Arts Theatre by popular demand from January 30th to February 3rd, starting at 8pm
What’s Jump!? all about?
JUMP!? is a one-woman play about hormones and how they affect the lives of women and girls. It is a truthful, touching and laugh-outloud funny dive into all that is taboo about female sexuality from menstruation to the menopause. The character Monica has lived quite the life, and now that she’s middle- aged, she’s about to discover her greatest adventure is yet to come. But will she be bold enough to take the plunge and JUMP?!
Middle aged Monica is about to parachute jump out of a plane. But that’s not the only leap of faith she’s about to make... Monica’s had enough of being nice, reasonable and sensible. Something has to change… to jump or not to jump, that is the question!”
Did the great reaction to the first run surprise you?
I was thrilled with the reaction to the premiere in October and I am tickled pink Cork Arts Theatre have invited me back for a second run. Genuinely, the standing ovations, texts, tweets, social media posts and messages meant so much to me that I made a file of them I can read them back whenever I need a creative morale boost in the future.
There’s a real West Cork flavour to this show?
My director, Karen Minihan, is from Schull and I am from Bandon. Karen and I definitely feel there is a West Cork element to the show. Karen (artistic director of Playacting Theatre) is a writer, actor and theatre director who has an extensive back catalogue. She is also author of the book and subsequent show Extraordinary Ordinary Women – The untold stories of the Founding of the State which she and I continue to tour to the many corners of West Cork and beyond.
I am an actor, writer, and acting coach. My parents are Edward O’Driscoll solicitor, Bandon and Kathleen O’Driscoll, neé Holland from Timolegue. I trained, lived and worked in the UK and USA for 16 years before settling back in Bandon with my husband, Sean Devereux, 18 years ago. We have three daughters and run a team building and event management company together www.teambuild.ie
How much of you is in the character of Monica?
They say write what you know so while Monica is a fictional character she is an amalgamation of me, my imagination and various women and girls I’ve met along the way. My inspiration for Monica, or more specifically the show, was borne of my own experience with the menopause which got me thinking about hormones and everything us women have to navigate in relation to hormones throughout our lives.
Will the show be coming to West Cork?
My hope is to bring the show on the road. My eyes were opened to all the gorgeous venues and festivals West Cork has to offer when touring Karen Minihan’s show Extraordinary Ordinary Women so I’d be delighted to bring JUMP!? west. Any venues or festivals interested in including JUMP!? in their line up can contact me via www.paulineodriscoll.com
As soon as we finish the run of JUMP!? at Cork Arts Theatre Karen and I will be bringing Extraordinary Ordinary Women Live to Bandon Town Hall on Sunday February 4th courtesy of Creative Bandon as part of the town’s St Brigid’s Day celebrations.
I filmed roles in a number of projects in 2023 so I am excited to see TV shows such as Borderline, and the second seasons of The Dry and The Tourist on the telly in the next few months and to see short films Poison and Mary’s Treasure in which I play lead roles, on the film festival circuit this year. I am developing another new play idea and of course
I will be contacting venues and putting together a tour of JUMP!?. My dream is to take JUMP!? it to Edinburgh and/or Dublin Fringe Festivals.
• See corkartstheatre.com
