Aoibh Johnson’s one-woman show, The Daughters of Róisín, at Bunker One in Pleasance Courtyard, is a striking portrayal of Ireland’s dark history of church and state abuse against women pregnant out of wedlock. This piece is as much a battle cry as it is a heart-wrenching testament to the resilience of women like Johnson’s ancestor, whose story inspired this powerful work.
The stage is sparse, with an overflowing laundry basket at the back—a central prop that Johnson revisits throughout the performance. The white sheets cascading from the basket come alive, transforming into symbols of purity, loss, and the heavy burden of unspoken shame these women bore.
Johnson’s performance is extraordinary. With a script that skilfully weaves between sorrow, anger, and moments of humour, she shifts emotional gears with remarkable dexterity. Her portrayal captures the complexity of her character’s experience—an innocent charm laced with the raw intensity of someone who has been profoundly wronged. Her energy on stage is contagious, each line delivered with a conviction that brings the historical injustices she addresses into sharp, painful focus.
The language of the play is steeped in metaphor, adding layers of meaning to the already poignant narrative. Johnson speaks of pregnancy as a sickness, where a “visitor” comes to steal away a woman’s child because she has been deemed unfit by society. This metaphor extends to the broader plight of Irish women, driven to the seas in search of refuge because their homeland has failed them so profoundly.
Johnson uses repetition and call-and-response techniques—“if you can’t see it, it doesn’t exist”—to engage the audience, making them complicit in the act of remembering and acknowledging this woman’s story. Interludes of a cappella singing add a mournful atmosphere, deepening the emotional impact of the piece.
In The Daughters of Róisín, Johnson has created a standout piece of theatre. It is not just a performance, but a moving tribute to the women whose lives were torn apart by a cruel system. This is essential viewing, a piece of theatre that captures the pain and resilience of a silenced generation.
