Phoebe Bakker
Where do we belong is the question at the heart of Hungry Grass/Stray Sod. While never directly asked, four women relay their journey in an exploration of home and self, set within an encompassing theme of Folklore tales that weave together in a tapestry that connects them all.
It is believed in traditional folklore that the land of Ireland wiped out the initial inhabitants. The land chooses who it accepts, we are told. The people who came next, therefore, were migrants and successfully built lives on the land. Throughout this show, we are given insight into the rich community that harbours here. It’s a powerful and moving performance about the different cultural backgrounds of each storyteller that hail from Brazil to Turkey, and whom have responded to a love and belonging that is found here in Ireland.
The stories are at times whimsical and intimate. We’re moved from room to room in a promenade style performance. Rooms that enclose us in darkness force us to sit shoulder to shoulder, perhaps to build this community, paralleling the ones they themselves have found. We listen hungrily to these stories, the performers captivating our senses and emboldened using the folklore tales, it gives this sense of campfire stories, making me feel like we’re swapping secrets in the dark at a sleepover. While there is joy in these stories, we are also faced with the pain of forced migration. Naomi Namutebi tells a tale of homophobic persecution that leads her to be trafficked from her home. And suddenly, the folklore imagery judders to a stop. The tale is sobering. Naomi’s tale is presented to us via video feed, yet her story penetrates us just as if she were still in the room. She’s a captivating storyteller, clear, but still warm. The message strums through each individual. Are we not all entitled to a place to feel safe and call home?
I understand that all these stories are connected through the overarching theme of Folklore. Each speaker relates their story to a specific tale to symbolise the ripples have been repeating since the start of time. At times, I feel like they merge seamlessly, and other times they feel almost like an arbitrary setting. Like mixing oil and water. I love the use of folklore as a backdrop, but it became quite loose, and attempts to merge it with audience interaction felt unearned or unnecessary. I think if the company had either amped up the interactive element or reduced it completely, it would have landed better, as all the performers’ stories and themselves were captivating on their own.
Overall, Hungry Grass/Stray Sod is brimming with pride. An engaging hour of storytelling reflecting the best of what Ireland is. A rightful home for many.
Performances of Hungry Grass/Stray Sod have now concluded at Dublin Fringe 2025.
Jasmine Silk
