A new comedy show based on a spoof blog of Fifty Shades of Grey has become the latest Irish theatre hit.
51 Shades of Maggie takes the world of E.L. James’ bestselling series and turns it completely on its head, replacing lead character Anastasia with unlucky-in-love Dubliner Maggie Muff, and resetting the scene to a North Dublin dole office.
The show follows the doomed romance of Maggie and Mr Big, the back-to-work interviewer whom she meets in the dole office, and how their relationship develops after her introduction to his “private room of pain”.
Actress Emma Barry, who plays Maggie and nine other characters during the show, says that while Maggie certainly raises eyebrows, she is undoubtedly an empowering figure.
“Female characters in theatre don’t get to say these [vulgar] things, so it’s great to have a character who basically changes it up – who walks and talks like a man,” Emma tells MummyPages, adding, “It shows that we have moved on from the traditional image – we’re not stuck in the kitchen anymore!”
While audiences have raved about Maggie’s hilarious commentary on her colourful sex life, Maggie’s abuse at the hands of her Mr Big is also a major theme in the show, and leading the audience through such a dramatic juxtaposition is something that Emma admits is a challenge.
“It’s difficult to get to that place in the show,” she explains. “One second you’re making them laugh and the next minute you have to bring them down to a point where they kind of go, ‘Okay, this is serious stuff’.”
This looks like a must-see, especially for fans of the original books.
51 Shades of Maggie runs in Dublin’s Olympia Theatre from 7th – 11th October. Click here for tickets
