James Joyce’s epic story of one day in one city is brought to life in this inventive new show, bringing Ireland’s most notorious book to audiences aged 8 and upwards, and all those who haven’t got around to reading it yet. Combining live performance, intricate paper design, an original score and Joyce’s odyssey, this is theatre that will excite both young and old. Commissioned as part of Ulysses 2.2, a collaborative project between ANU, Landmark Productions and Museum of Literature, Ireland. Part of the 2025 Culture Ireland Edinburgh Showcase.
Would you mind giving us a brief insight into what your show/event/performance is?
“You’ll See…” is an adaptation of James Joyce’s epic novel Ulysses into a 45-minute show for children. Yes, for children. We’ve created a pop-up book version of Ulysses, full of images from the story, the sights and scenes of Dublin in 1904, all populated by the many characters who make up Joyce’s tale. This is a small-scale edition of a huge cultural touchstone, beautifully crafted from paper and words and accessible to everyone from 8 to 108, to those who know the book inside out and those who are coming to it for the first time.
Tell us about the creative team and the process involved?
In 2022, the centenary of the publication of Ulysses, Branar took part in a project called Ulysses 2.2 wherein we were commissioned, along with several other artists in Ireland, to create a piece of work that would interpret or respond to one of the 18 sections of the book. In our wisdom (or foolishness) we decided to do the entire book.
This involved first reading the book. So that took a while. That done, director Marc Mac Lochlainn chose one or two images from each section of Ulysses to be our backdrop, and asked visual artist Maeve Clancy to create our pop-up book using those images. Then Marc and myself set about condensing the story into a 45-minute show. This involved much reading, re-reading, writing, deleting, hair-pulling-out, and re-writing.
Ulysses is a huge novel that sprawls across Dublin from dawn to dusk and beyond on one single day. It features a myriad of people, places and events, and it must be said that some of the things that happen are not entirely suitable for a younger audience… So we decided to follow the two central characters, Leopold Bloom and Stephen Dedalus, and make their separate journeys through the day into the narrative thread that would bring us from beginning to end – and lightly gloss over the cheeky bits! Joyce wrote each section of his novel in a different style and we’ve tried to subtly match this as far as we can in our adaptation.
Once the script was written, composer Michael Chang created a beautiful soundtrack and this was overlaid with a brilliant soundscape by Adrian Ferry to create the atmosphere of Dublin in 1904. A simple lighting plan was designed by Michael Foley, and an evocative costume was put together by Elaine Mears, and now I just have to perform the thing. Do come and see it!
How does it feel coming to the Fringe?
I’ve never been to the Fringe before and the idea of it is quite overwhelming. But I’m delighted to be coming with a show which I love and of which I’m very proud. I’m looking forward to seeing lots of work and filling up on creativity as well as just absorbing the atmosphere and meeting lots of people.
With shows from all over the world at the Fringe, what sets yours apart?
Did I mention that it’s Ulysses for children? I do think it’s quite an unusual piece in that it’s taking on a cultural behemoth and making it accessible to all. It’s also really quite a simple show: it’s small, it’s low-tech, and it’s all about storytelling. And although it is a children’s show, we’ve found that it’s enjoyed by big people just as much as small.
Is there anything specific you’re hoping the audience will take away?
“You’ll See…” is a great primer for of entry point into Ulysses. I hope that any audience members who’ve read the book will feel the delight of recognition upon seeing what we’ve done with it. But more than anything, for those who’ve not read or not even heard of the book, I hope they’ll leave feeling confident that it’s something they could tackle, should it cross their paths in the future.
Your Ideal audience is in attendance, who’s watching? Or more importantly – who isn’t…?
My ideal audience is anyone who likes a story, any age, any knowledge of Joyce or none. I love a mixed audience of children and their adults. And if you don’t have a child to bring, come along anyway. This is a show for everyone.
It’s an intense month, so where you’re able, how do you plan to relax, and are there any other shows you intend to see or want to recommend?
I’ll be visiting the yarn stores, bookshops and museums of Edinburgh and trying to find some grass to sit on. I haven’t been able to fully explore the programme – did you know it’s quite large? But I will definitely go to see The Little Prince by The Egg and Toby Thompson, and Kieran Hodgson: Voice of America by Kieran Hodgson, who is brilliant.
In your ideal world, how can we improve the Fringe, performance, and the industry?
I think it can be hard to live in our world as an artist, without career and financial security, sometimes struggling to keep your bank account and your self-esteem topped up to a reasonable level. And yet, what would the world be without art and artists? So I think a bit more support from governments and society at large would be ideal. The Irish government has been running a pilot project for the past three years, trialling a basic income for artists. The impact report is just in, and the effect it has had on those participating in the trial has been life-changing. We don’t know if the project will be extended, but it shows that initiatives like this are possible and what a difference they can make.
You’ll See…runs at Venue 33: The Green Yin at Pleasance Courtyard
Runs: July 30th – August 24th
Photo credit – Looky Here
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