Charlie is a kleptomaniac – the doctor told her.
Reckons it stems from childhood trauma.
But she has the robbin’ completely under control these days. For real.
She has a bit of a mouth on her, but she’s only trying to be funny, give everyone a laugh, not cause trouble, like. Not today, of all days. She loves that little boy more than she ever thought it was possible to love another human. There’s a lot riding on these 24 hours, and if she keeps her head down, she’ll get him back. Everyone has a story to tell… but there’s a time and a place. This is neither. Follow Charlie, the queen of self-sabotage as she tries desperately – for once in her life – to keep her mouth shut long enough to make it count.
A fast-paced and funny play about motherhood, messing up, and doing your best to make it up.
Charlie’s a Clepto was nominated for Best New Play and Best Actress at the Irish Times Theatre Awards and for the Stewart Parker Trust New Playwright Bursary in 2017.
Clare Monnelly’s debut as a writer is a fast-paced, poignant and funny play about motherhood, messing up, and doing your best to make it up.
Clare says: ‘I’m delighted to be getting the opportunity to take Charlie’s a Clepto on national tour to 15 venues around the country. This is a story that everyone will recognise, full of characters we all know. Charlie is not perfect, but she is human, and you can’t help but root for her to succeed. I can’t wait for you all to meet her.’
Three times Irish Times Irish Theatre award-nominated actor and writer Clare Monnelly is known on stage and screen for roles with Druid Theatre Co, The Abbey Theatre, Axis Ballymun, The Gate Theatre, Livin’ Dred Theatre Co and many more, as well as for roles in current feature film Rosie (Element Pictures), three series of International Emmy Award winning Moone Boy (Sky, Baby Cow), Identicals (2015) Electric Frank (1998) and Nowhere Fast, an RTÉ2 female-led comedy created by Alison Spittle. In 2017 Clare was awarded the Jim McNaughton / TileStyle Artist Bursary at the Allianz Business to Arts Awards. Clare is also the recipient of the Stewart Parker Trust New Plawright Bursary, the 2018 Dublin City Council Tyrone Guthrie Residency and is a current member of the Irish Theatre Institute’s Six in the Attic program. She was recently awarded the Pavilion Theatre Studio
Space Award to develop her third play.
Directed by Aaron Monaghan and designed by Suzie Cummins, ‘Charlie’s a Clepto’ was first commissioned and produced by Axis in Ballymun in 2017, it went on to a short tour with overwhelmingly positive audience, media and critical response. Axis Director Mark O’Brien commented: ‘Axis has a long tradition of developing and bringing new work to the stage and of
offering development opportunities to artists. ‘Charlies a Clepto’ continues Axis' championing of new writing and we are greatly looking forward to bringing it to audiences nationwide in 2019.’ This tour to fifteen venues nationwide is funded by the Arts Council.
“A play that has a lightness of touch and a big heart” – NoMoreWorkhorse
“A sharply observed, female take, conjuring up her troubled past and chaotic present to haunt the stage” – The Sunday Times
“The dialogue is crisp and tight, crammed with pop culture references, and with an evident love of language” – The Reviews Hub
Notes for Editors
axis: Ballymun presents
Charlie’s a Clepto
Written and performed by Clare Monnelly
Directed by Aaron Monaghan
Designed by Suzie Cummins
Produced by Niamh Ní Chonchubhair
Nationwide tour 11 th March – 13 th April 2019
For more information visit: http://www.druid.ie/
