Bardot Bites, The Dolmen Theatre

One sibling left alone to look after the Mammy while the other gets on with things is something we can perhaps forget does happen, be it in life or drama. In this case Bid is the one who cares for her mother, living in the family home with her until death parts them, leaving the 49 year old daughter jobless, alone and possibly out of the house she has lived in for years if Francine, her business empire building sister who owns a number of beauty salons, has her way. Francine wants to sell it and split the proceeds between the two. Bid gets a reprieve and with her sister's help gets a job in a food emporium at the deli counter, finding she has a knack for cheese and flirting.

What follows are a number of misadventures in the world of dating, her red flower on her head growing larger after each encounter; some 'education' from the younger sisters Leandra and Leonie working alongside her in the shop, plus an array of small town characters in what appears to be a very colourful place to live, brought to life by an effervescent Deirdre Quinn, who also wrote the play itself. It is hard not to like Bid, who has a child like nature appearing as she recounts her dates, but also an inner strength and tact that emerges at the right time, as she learns about the world and herself, while Quinn shows her own skill for comic acting in a very expressive performance.

The shop is brought to life by a few shelves with cheese boxes on them, which she moves from one side to the other, also taking notes and marking things off as she recounts her monologue, dressed in white with an apron and hat on, while the red polka dotted plastic type sheeting over wood depicts the counter. The stage is used well, keeping Bid front and centre as should be, directed by Mary Curtin, while lighting is simple, but also varies a little by focusing on Bid during more intimate aspects of the piece. What is good is that while Quinn does take on other characters, she doe not become them, but more a take on them as she reports to us what they said, which is an effective and direct style. 

It is a charming, well performed, piece that does have some funny moments, that give an entertaining evening and despite the premise, it keeps more to the lighter side rather than get bogged down in the family drama and flashbacks it might otherwise be tempted to do.