26 January 2011 (Theatre Review)

Words: Lauren O'Toole - Theatre Writer

Director: Tracy Martin

Cast: Donncha O'Dea

A one man show depicting the turbulent war torn life of a German transvestite antique dealer seems bound as an absurd, perhaps farcical piece of theatre. When you discover that it is in fact a true story your curiosity is piqued somewhat and about three minutes into Glass Doll Productions' I am my Own Wife at The Pearse Centre you are completely immersed. Based on interviews that took place between the playwright and Charlotte Van Mahlsdorf in the 1990s the play went on to win several awards on Broadway: a lot to live up to for the production company's debut play - and yet live up to it they do.

I imagine there is a risk, temptation even, with Doug Wright's script to play it for laughs even at the most base infantile level of comedy that arises from the main character being a bloke in a dress. And yet the fact that Charlotte is not fictional calls for a level of sensitivity in the role which Donncha O'Dea manages to achieve by melding both humour and subtlety in his portrayal of this wonderfully endearing character. 

O'Dea displays great dexterity throughout the two acts flitting seamlessly back and forth through the myriad of characters delivering the testimony of Charlotte's struggles against the brutal Nazi and Stasi regimes. Charlotte's dedication to preserving the crafts of her country by providing an antique safe-house during the war years is her main preoccupation - the extension of this sanctuary to members of the gay community came later in the form of a speakeasy type establishment in her basement. This is the point that Doug Wright endeavours to make in I Am My Own Wife and which Glass Doll Productions captures - Charlotte's eccentricity lies in her life long love of antiques not of cross-dressing: that part is incidental.

The use of the Georgian reception rooms of The Pearse Centre rather than the actual theatre is potentially risky - bringing with it the usual problems of a site specific space. Rather, it was a stroke of genius that was pulled off largely one imagines by the light and sound designers Sean McCormack and Eoin Ryan who didn't overwhelm but delicately enhanced the intimacy of the space. It could be argued that the extant grandeur of the house left little scope for set design and yet director and set designer Tracy Martin's recreation of the groaning shelves of Charlotte's cluttered museum of rescued antiques places the audience directly in the heart of this quirky old lady's world.

I Am My Own Wife is a meticulously crafted script with a story that cannot help but intrigue but it takes more than this to engage an audience in the manner that I witnessed on Tuesday evening in The Pearse Centre. O'Dea's performance was flawless, his stamina remarkable. Switching from playwright Doug's flamboyant Americanisms, to the barks of the officers of the Stasi, and back to Charlotte with a simple twinkle of the eye and a twitch of the mouth. There's always the fear with a two act, one man show that you’ll tire of that one man - with O'Dea, Charlotte, Doug and his multitudinous other personas this is never the case.
 

I Am My Own Wife runs until 6th February in The Pearse Centre. Tickets are priced between €12-10.

An interview with Tracy Martin and Donncha O'Dea.