Page 22 - Coverage Book Festival of New BPA
P. 22
25 February 2021
Folk singer-songwriter Maz O'Connor has written a new piece of music theatre that
tells the story of the brutal murder of Bridget Cleary in 19th century Tipperary. The
work gets its premiere at the Britten-Pears Arts Festival of New this weekend from
2pm.
Bridget Cleary lived in Tipperary in 19th century Ireland. She was killed by her
husband Michael in 1895 who believed she had been abducted by fairies and been
replaced by a changeling. Her treatment at the hands of her husband was later to
revealed as brutal. Michael Cleary was found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced
to 20 years penal servitude. He served 15 years in prison before emigrating to
Canada.
Maz O'Connor's music tells the story of Cleary's grisly demise, told from the
perspective of the local community and of Bridget herself through a series of folk-
infused mid-tempo pop tracks. The work was developed amongst the small company
