From Irish pubs, we knew, among other things, the old ballad of Tim Fin negan, the story of the mason who falls from his ladder, as drunk as a barrel, and dies instantly. During the wake, the deceased is resurrected following a few drops of whiskey inadvertently spilled in his coffin. He gets up and celebrates with his hosts. Lots of fun! In Irish Celtic, Spirit of Ireland, designed by Toby Gough, there will be no wake, but there will be Jameson whisky, Guinness and traditional dancing.
For two hours (with intermission to quench your thirst), Celtic music (violin, piano, bagpipes, guitar, flute, accordion, bodhràn, etc.) will flow into your ears. This “musical” will make you want to drink and get out of your chair. There is a story to this show. It is narrated by Toby, an unpayable innkeeper who wants to retire. He wants to leave the keys of the tavern to his good-for-nothing son, except that he, like all Irish people, has rhythm in his feet: he knows how to tap dance with his “heavy shoes”. To take over the business, he must first find a beautiful Irish woman.
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Toby, the narrator, between two sips of beer and three gulps of whiskey, tells the story of his establishment linked to his grandmother, a survivor of the Titanic. She was the one who opened this Dublin pub, the Irish Celtic. “ The pub is to the Irish what the Eiffel Tower is to the French,” he tells us. Not false. Fourteen remarkable dancers will “jig” until they drop. Air blowers. In a setting that we wish was so real as we would like to spend our days and nights there, the boys and girls perform spectacular ballets. They are funny, these traditional dances. This way of crossing your legs and keeping your upper body straight. Above all, do not move your trunk or arms. A penguin side which is nevertheless not without grace.
We never tire of “set” or step dancing”, this choreography where the dancers are lined up and perform the same movements in rhythm with their tap shoes. Sometimes there are moments of rest when Conor Joseph Mallon captivates the pub with his bagpipes. Entire landscapes – cliffs, bays and plains, mountains and rivers – then parade through the public’s brain. We must also salute Ciaran Cooney, the remarkable guitarist and singer of the group led by pianist Anthony Davis. All this is enchanting and invites us to take a return trip on Aer Lingus.
Irish Celtic, Spirit of Ireland, at the Palais des congrès (Paris 17th), April 14 and on tour until April 16. www.irish-celtic.com
