Location: Sean O’Casey Theatre, Dublin

Date: October 2019

Written by Gerard O’Shea

Directed by Paula McGlinchey

Production Design by Alessia Licata

Cast: Demi Bahmber and Shane Casey

“Once a year” was a theatre play selected as part of the first edition of the “Short and Sweet Festival” in 2019.

Short and Sweet is an international festival brand, presenting exciting contemporary works that give space to emerging and established artists to explore and showcase their talent.

“Once a Year” written by Gerard O’Shea was a script selected by the festival commission and entrusted to director Paula McGlinchey.

“Once a year,” tells the story of Tara and Declan, two lovers with independent lives, tangled in the old habit to meet once a year and spend the night together. Declan waits all year round for the encounter with Tara. Tara lies to her husband to escape the family routine for just one night. She has many strings attached to her, and she is not willing to derange her life. Tara and Declan must break up.

“Once a year” is a short play, so we wanted to enhance the story by giving a strong visual.

Since the beginning, the protagonists are connected by a red string that follows their movement around the set. After a moment of passion, Declan confesses his eternal love for Tara, the woman alarmed by the broken arrangement of conceding one night a year to her lover, becomes hysterical and gets ready to leave the room.

In wearing her old clothes, Tara goes back to her life as a wife and mother.

This play represents the un/balance of forces that dominate our lives.

The eternal human struggle between what should be, what could be and what it is.

The high contrast colour palette and a black and white Gingham pattern recalling the chess game is used as a metaphor for regulated moves and unexpected strategies.

The red tones give warmth to the scene and amplify the undeniable fiscal attraction between the lovers.