![]() I gulped the book down as fast as I could.Īmy Wilde is a London-based gardener whose speciality is wildflowers (I see what you did with the name there, Browne.) She lives in a flat with her mad posh friend Jo, who never met a social occasion she didn't like and couldn't conquer. Her writing is warm, and funny, and real. I loved Hester Browne's voice in this book. So I was reluctant to read THE RUNAWAY PRINCESS, but it was at my library and I needed something to read so. Further information about the show can be found on its website here.I tried to read Hester Browne's first book and put it down after, oh, 20 pages or so. Runaway Princess: A Hopeful Tale of Heroin, Hooking and Happiness played at EdFringe 2022. This is indeed a tale of hope that deserved to be shared. As we peel away the last layer of a broken woman, one who trod on the edge of society because she never felt she fit in, we finally find the princess, reunited at last with her most precious treasures. If anything, we are in awe of her resilience and perseverance.įortunately, like all fables, there is a happy ending. Because of her honesty, though, it’s hard to judge her choices. When she discovers she is expecting a baby, our hopes are raised, only to be disappointed again and again. Each time we think she has finally reached the bottom, the tale takes another turn for the worst, with more misery and despair added. The whole hour we spend in her company is a downward spiral. Introduced to heroin in her early teenage years, drinking became her comfort blanket and prostitution a way to support herself financially whilst living on the street. The long title sums up the storyline better than any blurb could do. Nonetheless, the tone chosen for this piece is never accusatory, but very much matter of fact and, at times, much more compassionate than we might have anticipated. Rebellion is a word that will often come to mind. Whilst the paternal figure is almost idealised, it is around the conflictual maternal relationship that most of the early incidents revolve – like her running away from home aged twelve. Mary Pat – this is how everyone called her whilst growing up – was born and spent her childhood in the New York’s Bronx, sharing “a dark house” with a caring father and an unloving mother. ![]() When a large slice of its population migrated to the United States, Mary’s parents followed, yet clung on even tighter to their traditions and religion. It starts with a “once upon a time” allegory of what brought Ireland to become impoverished whiskey and religion are identified as prime culprits. Switching between the fable tone – which seemed more popular than ever at this year’s Fringe – and recollections of real events, Runaway Princess is the story of her life. She provides the drama before reaching her own happy ending. In fact, there’s little need for much more than her own self, on a modestly dressed and plainly lit set, nothing but a chair in the centre of the stage and an oversized storybook on the floor. There’s no need for dramatisation in Mary Goggin‘s memoir. The hair-raising memoir of a woman who turned her life around after decades of alcoholism, drugs, abusive relationships and prostitution.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |