Moonfish on quest to create fairytale for modern Ireland

“Humour, inventiveness and magical storytelling, with wonderful virtuosic performances and beautiful designs.” That’s the promise to audiences who attend The Crow’s Way,  the latest show from Moonfish Theatre, which is being staged at the city’s Town Hall Theatre from this Thursday to Sunday as part of Baboró International Arts Festival for Children.

For children aged eight and older, this modern fairytale follows the adventures of Gerda as she braves a dark and unpredictable forest in a quest to save her best friend, Cuán, who has fled after he ruined the annual village ritual.

The Crow’s Way comes to Galway from Dublin’s Fringe Festival, where it won three awards, including Best Performer, Best Set and Best Costume.

So, it’s no surprise that Máiréad Ní Chróinín, who is co-director of Moonfish with her sister Ionia, is over the moon in advance of its opening here. Not even a nasty headcold can quell her enthusiasm.

It’s been four years since Moonfish last staged a show. That was the superb adaptation of Joseph O’Connor’s novel Redemption Falls. Bilingual and with music and visuals woven throughout, it was a sequel to their adaptation of its predecessor Star of the Sea, which premiered at the 2014 Galway International Arts Festival.

Covid was a contributory factor to the four-year hiatus.  But there were happier reasons too, including motherhood, adds Máiréad, who now has one child while Ionia has two.

They’ve been working on The Crow’s Way for the past year and it’s probably no coincidence that, with it, they’re returning to one of their passions;“Making theatre for young audiences”.

Pictured: Christie Kandiwa, Jeanne Ní Áinle, Zita Monahan McGowan, Seorsín Bashford and Seán T Ó Meallaigh in The Crow’s Way. It’s currently running at the city’s Town Hall Theatre as part of Baboró. PHOTO: PATO CASSINONI.