Eimear Keating to star in one-person show tonight

Mullingar actress Eimear Keating is “embracing the challenge” of performing in her first-ever one-person show later tonight.

Called ‘Gammy,’ the production is written by Kate Finnegan, directed by Laura Sheeran, and follows the trials and tribulations of a 31-year-old woman from the Midlands who has never left the area.

The show has been described as a tragicomedy and will be performed by Eimear in front of a sell-out crowd in the Project Arts Centre in Dublin (from May 9 - May 11).

Eimear said it came about on the back of her performance in a production of 'Somewhere Out There You' in The Abbey Theatre last year.

“Being in the Abbey show sparked off something and I got this audition on the back of it, prepared for it, and thankfully got it,” she said.

“It’s only me in it, it’s my first one-person show so it is challenging.

“I’ve taken it on and though it is scary, I’m embracing the challenge of it.”

Eimear said the show isn’t for the faint-hearted.

“It’s about a 31-year-old woman who is actually from rural Ireland, the Midlands, and she’s one of these women who just never left her area,” she said.

“She has a chip on her shoulder, she feels a bit forgotten and goes through a very gruesome series of events – it should probably have a trigger warning at times.

“It deals with abuse of all kinds but in a very funny way, which sounds bad, but is true - it’s a tragicomedy and it is very dark.”

Eimear said the character she is playing hasn’t had it easy.

“I do feel for her, she is a real human and we as people are all very flawed,” she said.

“Even though she thinks this way, there’s a reason why hurt people hurt other people and this is quite an example of that, for sure.”

The Mullingar actress is a big fan of the Project Arts Centre as a venue.

“I love the venue; I’ve seen loads of shows in the Project and I’ve seen a lot of my favourite actors perform there,” said Eimear.

“I feel like I’m ticking off boxes as I’m progressing and I’m really happy about that.

“The capacity is about 90 people, it’s a small crowd but a good crowd to play for a one-woman show – it’s intimate.”

Gammy will also be heading to the west with showings in the Mick Lally Theatre in Galway from the 11th to the 13th of May and in The Factory Theatre in Sligo on the 8th and 9th of July.