BETHENCOURT PRODUCTIONS
DEATH & SENSUALITY
April 2022
Last April we presented a Literary Cabaret of Death & Sensuality exploring the taboo of sexual desire and death instinct.
Bethencourt Productions presents a Franco Irish cabaret of drama, dance, music and nervous laughter. Inspired by the erotic power turned violent in Oscar Wilde's Salome, the philosophy of Georges Bataille, the mysticism of Jean Genet and the Theatre of Cruelty of Antonin Artaud. New writing by Paula Lonergan and Mark Wale explores the taboo of murder, together with social and racial inequality in recent Irish crime.
WOMAN AND CAT
October 17th 2021
The feline, the feminine and the feral. An evening of variety with music, comedy and drama. Singer songwriter Clara Marie Tracey with Gabrielė Dikčiūtė Actors Paul Nugent and Anna Olson Nugent in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. New theatre writing by Peter Reid featuring actors Alex Cusack, Deidre Murphy and Carla Burke. Darina Gallagher on Molly Bloom and Cats. Author Mia Gallagher reads from Angela Carter’s Puss-in-Boots. Cabaret Artist Rose Lawless. Josh Johnston, on piano, plays Mozart vs Salieri. Deirdre Murphy sings her hit song based on Maya Angelou’s poems Phenomenal Woman. Singer Songwriter Pearse McGloughlin. Actors Steve Hartland and Carla Burke nod to Hollywood backstabbing and bitchiness. MC Leonor Bethencourt. Poster image by Nolan Art.
DOUBLE ACTS LITERARY CABARET
September 19th 2021
A celebration of The Golden Age of Comedy and the Universal Language of Humour. With Cabaret Artists Rose Lawless. Actors Paul Nugent and Anna Olson Nugent. New writing by Peter Reid. Comedians Sharon Mannion and Danny Kehoe. Vaudeville Duet Darina Gallagher and Sinead Murphy. Music by Josh Johnston. Expect an evening of variety with music, comedy and scenes performed by actors, which have been written specifically for the theme of the month by playwrights of our time.
WOMAN IN BED LITERARY CABARET
June 20th 2021
Inspired by Molly Bloom. New writing by Cathleen Young, Lesley Conroy & Peter Reid. Music by Josh Johnston, Pearse McGloughlin, Sinead Murphy & Gerry Anderson. Cabaret Artist Rose Lawless. Actors Stephen Kelly, David Ryan, Paul Nugent, Rachel Walshe, Orlaith de Burca, Michael Mullen, Lesley Conroy, Neill Fleming, Carla Burke & Sean Young.
BEYOND WORDS LITERARY CABARET
May 16th 2021
Playwrights Lesley Conroy, Justin MacGregor and Peter Reid wrote original scenes for this show. Actors Esosa Ighodaro, Mark Loughran, Pierce McNee, Paul Nugent, Ann Russell and Marcela Salgado. With Fia Rua. Anna Nugent sings Lin-Manuel Miranda. Rose Lawless. Poetry Diva Kate Dempsey.
VIVE L'IRLANDE LITERARY CABARET
April 18th 2021
A Franco Irish Literary Cabaret The beauty of the southern Irish coast enraptured Charles de Gaulle in 1969, following his resignation as president. The Irish landscape is a source of inspiration and a retreat. Actors Sheherazade Bodin and Pierre George perform Madame Bovary. Actors Rachel Walshe and Dave Carr perform Ryan’s Daughter. Pearse McGloughlin. Actors Paul Nugent and Stephen Kelly in Waiting for Godot... kind of. Vaudeville act Darina Gallagher & Sinead Murphy, present James Joyce’s “The Cat & the Devil” animation with music and song.
MARRIAGES OF CONVENIENCE
March 21st 2021
Flamenco by Vanessa Corujeira. "Like Water for Chocolate" by Laura Esquivel.
Scenes from the movies live on zoom: "The Painted Veil" (performed by Lesley Conroy & Eoin O'Sullivan) and "Kramer vs Kramer" (performed by real life happily married couple Anna Olson Nugent & Paul Nugent). Music from "The Piano" performed by Josh Johnston.
"I Walk a Little Faster" performed by Lesley Conroy and accompanied by Josh Johnston. Pearse McGloughlin and Rose Lawless.
A DUBLIN CABARET
February 21st 2021
The Good, the Grand and the Ugly. Rose Lawless Dublin
Carla Song Falling Slowly from the movie soundtrack of Once.
With music by Josh Johnston
Darina Gallagher & Sinead Murphy.
Aidan Jordan in a scene from Conor McPherson's Shining City. Orlaith de Burca in Woman who walked into doors by Roddy Doyle.
A LITERARY CABARET OF HAPPY ENDINGS
January 17th 2021
Poet Maureen Boyle takes up the story where the Sound of Music ends. Singer songwriter Pearse McGloughlin. Actors Paul Nugent and Anna Olson Nugent in a scene from Tootsie. Allison McKay and Kathleen O’Rourke in a comedy sketch from their Elegant Living series. Rose Lawless. Musician Evelyn McGrory. Darina Gallagher sings Juliet Turner accompanied by Josh Johnston on piano. Bill Dunlap.
ADDICTION LITERARY CABARET
December 20th 2020
Emilie Conway on Billie Holiday . Scenes from Wolf of Wall Street, Magnolia & Almodovar with Anna Nugent, Monica Caballero, Eoin O’Sullivan, Laura Casanellas, Michael Mullen, Paul Nugent. Authors Mia Gallagher & Rose Lawless. Music with Pearse McGloughlin, Darina Gallagher, Evelyn McGrory & Josh Johnston.
AMERICAN DREAM LITERARY CABARET
November 15th 2020
With a cast of Melvillian proportions on both sides of the Atlantic. Bill & Gina Dunlap, Darina Gallagher, Josh Johnston, Rose Lawless, Pearse McGloughlin, Evelyn McGrory, Michael Mullen, Jenny Murray (NYC), Mo O’Connell, Eoin O’Sullivan, Rhea Rose Rodillas, Emily Tracey & Victoria Vincent (Chicago).
MASKS LITERARY CABARET
October 18th 2020
Real actor Mick Mullen and Artificially Intelligent actor Samantha, on the future of love. Singer songwriter Pearse McGloughlin. Soprano Caroline Behan, accompanied by Josh Joshnston Phantom of the Opera. Emily Tracey. Cabaret Artists Rose Lawless with Gerry Anderson. Literary duet Sinead Murphy & Darina Gallagher don the masks of political figures Parnell & Davitt.
BLOOMSDAY LITERARY CABARET
June 14th 2020
An interview with James Joyce. himself written and directed by Peter Reid, performed by Paul Nugent and Anna Olson Nugent. Rose Lawless was Molly Bloom in her bed. Orlaith de Burca played Gretta adapted fromThe Dead. Emilie Conway sang “Bid Adieu”, Joyce's only known composition.
LOVE IN THE TROUBLES LITERARY CABARET
February 16th 2020
Inspired by works of literature, the movies and personal experience of The Troubles: Music with Clara Marie Tracey, Gabriele Dikciute & Josh Johnston. Comedy with Roy Wilson. Drama from movies The Crying Game and Hunger performed by: Mark Loughran, Rhea Rose Rodilla, Paul Nugent & PJ Dunlevy. Poetry by Seamus Heaney.
RACISM & THE BLUES
January 19th 2020
Comedians: Tiny James, Sean King, Jagruti Rathod & Emman Idama. Regan O’Brien & Esosa Ighodaro on vocals. Actors Darina Gallagher, Paul Nugent, Rhea Rose Rodillas & Carla Burke. New writing by Peter Reid. Cabaret artist Rose Lawless brings comedy and new writing. With references to Toni Morrison’s Beloved and Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man.
CABIN FEVER LITERARY CABARET
December 2019
With jazz singer Emilie Conway, cabaret artist Rose Lawless, and scenes from Room, The Shining, The Fabulous Baker Brothers and Miller’s After the Fall.
ESPIONAGE LITERARY CABARET
November 2019
Paul Nugent, Frank Melia and Carla Burke as James Bond, Q and Bond Girl directed by Anna Olson Nugent. Music from the movies: Evelyn McGrory and Josh Johnston. Carla Burke song: I’ll be watching you, every move you make. Cold War Spies parody by Peter Reid
SIGHT & BLINDNESS LITERARY CABARET
October 2019
A scene and a tango from Scent of a Woman. Orlaith de Burca was Brian Friel’s Molly Sweeney & sang I’m Beginning to see the Light. Josh Johnston sang I close my eyes. Anna Olson Nugent and Paul Nugent in a scene from Superman adapted by Peter Reid. Rose Lawless. Sinead Murphy on James Joyce’s eye sight. Movie soundtrack by Evelyn McGrory.
FRANCO IRISH & DUBLIN LITERARY CABARETS
March & April 2019
ROAD TRIPS & MARILYN MONROE READING ULYSSES LITERARY CABARETS
May & June 2019
HUMAN RIGHTS LITERARY CABARET
September 2019
