Straying from the path
Damian McCarney
As far as typecasts go 'young girl’ isn’t a bad one. It’s broad enough to guarantee plenty of work and so it’s proving for Drumalee actress Bláithín McCormick, who has been cast in Gonzo’s screwball take on Little Red Riding Hood.
Bláithín is probably more familiar to Longford theatre-goers - in the three years that have passed since she performed in Gonzo’s The Three Marys of Christmas, she has regularly tread the Backstage Theatre’s boards in shows like Brendan Behan’s The Hostage and Seamus O’Rourke’s The Halfway House Hotel.
“There’s usually one young girl in a show, and that’s the part that I get,” says the 24-year-old with a laugh, noting her casting is from 15 or 16 to 23. Do you have trouble getting into pubs?
“I’m usually asked for ID.”
You must be delighted?
“I’m sure I will be in a few years!”
Now just weeks after her return to Cavan, having finished her full year MA course in the Guildford School of Acting, she’s back in the 'young girl’ role in 'The Stray Path’, Philip Doherty’s zany take on one of the most famous 'young girl’ stories going. “It’s not your fairytale Red Riding Hood - it’s the next generation. The original Red Riding Hood would be my Red Riding Hood’s grandmother. It’s her trying to be like her grandmother but failing miserably, trying to recreate what happened. It’s a complete twist on the original story but it’s really fun.”
Improvisation
While it is a comic play with a kids’ fairytale as the jumping off point - under the direction of Kevin O’Connor - Bláithín repeatedly stresses: “It’s suitable for all ages, definitely. It’s for everyone, it’s not one of those kids’ pantos, where parents fall asleep beside the kids.” At the time the Celt spoke to Bláithín, a slightly modified version, even more appealing for adults was in the pipeline.
She will be joined on stage by Teri FitzGerald taking on a variety of roles, including Granny (the original Red) and Mammy. They also have twice the wolf fun of the original with Gonzo stalwarts Shane Carroll playing Andy The Wolf and Ray Fitzsimons playing Stephen The Wolf. That producer Aimee O’Reilly arranged a weekend for the cast over in West Cavan to flesh out their characters, even before they received the script, is a measure of how serious they are taking the 'The Stray Path’.
Giving an example of “some lovely moments” they found through improvisation, Bláithín notes that in one version of the original tale, when Red meets the wolf “she is a bit infatuated with him”.
“She finds him really interesting - he’s not like everybody else. They almost have this connection between them, which is like love, that adds to the betrayal when he eats the grandma. We found some really nice moments when the two of them meet in the forest, we got to play with that a bit.
“It’s only little bits but they are little bits which make our show more magical. They came natural to us, and we possibly feel a little bit more connected to them as well.”
All the crew were surprised to discover the huge variety of takes on the play.
“There’s so many different versions,” says Bláithín. “Some of them, are very dark, I think it’s Charles Perrault and the Grimm Brothers versions are quite dark ones but the ones I would have known would have been the Ladybird version, when the woodcutter would come in and chop up the wolf.
“Little Red would have been used as a tool by people to warn little girls not to go off with strange men and not to speak to strangers. It’s like: 'if you do that, this is going to happen, you’re going to get eaten’ - a lot of the stories end with her being eaten!”
Moral
This Gonzo production is even further removed from the Ladybird story we’re familiar with from national school.
“The character I’m playing isn’t like any of the previous Little Red Riding Hoods - she’s very driven, very feisty. She wants to be as famous as her granny, but it’s just not happening for her. She makes mistakes and every time she tries a new tactic.”
So is the moral of 'The Stray Path’ that you should hang out with wolves?
“Little Red’s lesson will be don’t try to strive for everything - don’t try copying all these people and be happy in yourself.”
“I’m really excited about it. I’ve never done a show like this... It’s really fun getting to go to rehearsals and getting to be really silly, and getting to improvise, and messing around.”
Another key aspect of the show is the input of musical director, the ferociously talented Robbie Perry. “The music is amazing,” says Bláithín. “He will be sitting in the corner doing amazing work on his many many instruments. It’s great fun having that underscore the whole time, it emphasises everything.”
Turning to her future career, Bláithín, accepts “you have to go where the work is” and hopes that will see her relocate to Dublin or London. “I have an agent in the UK who is getting me auditions.”
While she loves stage acting she has a slight preference for screen job. Asked for her favourite actors she is surprisingly hesitant for an actress. “Hmm. I’ve asked myself this question a lot. I don’t know.” After much thought: “At the moment I really like Matthew McConaughey. He completely turned himself around and he’s just amazing.” For an actress, she finally volunteers Cate Blanchet, but quickly adds, “I don’t really have a favourite female.” That’s the moral of The Stray Path, the Celt quips - don’t try to be someone else.
“Exactly!”
“Everyone is so quick to come up with their favourites... Anyone you see in big films are there for a reason - they’re all good.”
So will we see you in Grange Hill? “That’s the dream!”
Catch Bláithín McCormick and the rest of the Gonzo crew when they take 'The Stray Path’ to Cavan Town Hall on December 11, 12, 13, 19 and 20 at 7.30pm (matinees also on December 13, 14, 20, 21 and January 3 at 3pm). Cost: €10 family rates available. Bookings: Aimee 086 3437 249.