With a modern twist on the ancient tradition of Irish storytelling, Mary Kate explores how her lifelong fascination with story has shaped and sustained her and makes a case for how stories shape and sustain the human race

Making A Show of Myself,

by Mary Kate O Flanagan

Directed by Will O’Connell

Smock Alley Theatre,

November 29th – December 2nd 2023 8pm.

(Sat matinee Dec 2nd 3pm).

“It’s safe to say that story is the central preoccupation of my life. It’s been the focus of my studies, at the heart of all my work and and my deepest pleasure. Over the course of my life, it has become my religion. I believe that by shaping a story, we reclaim the narrative of our own experiences and change our lives. This is why I am out here making a show of myself, sharing my silliest, most painful and embarrassing as well as my happiest and  proudest moments, to share my faith in stories and hopefully win a few converts to the holy magic and power of story,”.

Mary Kate loves her day job but she comes alive at night when she tells her stories on stage to an audience. Now she has turned a number of her true-life stories into a piece of theatre, Making A Show of Myself, which will next be performed at Dublin’s historic Smock Alley Theatre in Dublin for 5 performances only from November 29th to December 2nd 2023 at 8pm (Sat matinee Dec 2nd 3pm).

Mary Kate laid claim to the title of Ireland’s Grand Slam Champion Storyteller at The Moth, which she won after telling her story of being a fish out of water at The Abbey Theatre in 2015.

She has since been a Grand Slam Champion Storyteller at The Moth in Los Angeles and a Champion Storyteller at The Dublin StorySlam on several occasions. If you want a flavour of what she does, you can hear her on The Moth RadioHour at: https://themoth.org/stories/carry-him-shoulder-high

Tickets here.