The Clockmaker's Daughter as presented by Tralee Musical Society

Public Adjudication

Tralee MS

The Clockmaker’s Daughter

Friday 18^th April 2025

The Irish premiere of ‘The Clockmaker's Daughter’ was the show of choice for Tralee Musical Society this season. Staged in the wonderful Siamsa Tíre Theatre, this was an extraordinary theatrical presentation which blended fantasy and realism in a most thought-provoking presentation. It is a tale with nods to a myriad fairytales and even a musical or two. ‘Pinocchio,’ ‘Frankenstein,’ ‘Beauty and the Beast’ and even ‘My Fair Lady’ are all in there somewhere. In spite of familiar elements, there is something beautifully unique and magical about ‘The Clockmaker’s Daughter.’ It is a very original tale with many hard-hitting themes, such as mob mentality and the isolation of people we perceive as being different.

Tralee Musical Society’s production was beautifully presented by a top-notch cast and a production team at the top of their game.The Siamsa Tíre Theatre has to be one of my favourite venues in the country. It is a stunning theatre and there was a huge air of anticipation as we arrived in the foyer for the society's penultimate performance. Word had travelled far and wide that this was a very special production and word wasn't wrong. There was a very warm welcome and everything was highly organised front of house. 

The very talented Oliver Hurley brought great clarity to this fantastical tale as he tapped into its magic, its fantasy, its supernatural undertones, whilst carefully dealing with themes of prejudice, bigotry and the ease with which people can be influenced by group dynamics. It was epic in its presentation and its scale. Mr. Hurley utilised the excellent set so well and there was wonderful use of space throughout. One of his great strengths as a director was his use of ensemble, whose business was always meaningful and purposeful. There was great pace throughout and comedic business was nicely balanced with more poignant moments. It was an exceptionally well-directed show, a huge undertaking to create the largest production of this show that has ever been staged and one to be extremely proud of.

Musical director Michael Young did a superb job with this wonderful Webborn and Finn score. The show’s music is well worth listening to if you haven't had the chance to do so already. Influences of folk and traditional are in there, with love songs, power ballads and some incredibly uplifting, up-tempo choral pieces that lift the spirits. The complex layered harmonies were brilliantly performed and much credit is due to Mr. Young and choral assistant Sorcha O'Connor, who did sterling work on this show.

Mr. Young brought this most gorgeous orchestration to life with his very talented musicians. The opening number, ‘The Turning of the Key,’ was remarkable in its energy, choral layers, and crystal-clear diction. ‘Spindlewood’ was another hugely impressive choral number and ‘If You Could See My Heart’ featured stunning principal and offstage vocals which were perfectly balanced and one of the many musical highlights of the show. 

Oliver Hurley and Justin Walsh did a wonderful job with the choreography of this show. What struck me most about the opening number, ‘The Turning of the Key,’ was its simplicity of movement, yet it was so together, so sharp, so in tune with the narrative. It was such a joyous opening, giving me ‘Come From Away’ vibes with its energetic realism. ‘A Modest Modiste’ featured lovely movement, incorporating props, in Ma Riley's dress shop, beautifully performed by the seamstresses. ‘Spindlewood’ saw the town coming to life with beautifully choreographed movement and, again, great use of props which added layers of authenticity and realism to proceedings. ‘Keep It to Yourself’ had shades of ‘The Rumour’ in ‘Fiddler on the Roof,’ with exceptionally sharp, funny movement. I loved the incorporation of bodhráns into ‘Raise a Glass,’ the rousing finale to Act One, but perhaps the most impressive choreography was in ‘Fears and Whispers,’ with the clock-like movement of the ensemble being quite stunning. 

Helena Brosnan Donnellon excelled in the central role of Constance. For the uninitiated, Spindlewood's clockmaker, Abraham, creates a replacement for his daughter who has passed away and the result is far beyond his expectations, with his creation, Constance, able to walk, talk and think for herself. Of course, she is hungry for new experiences and her curiosity leads her to venture outside, against her father's wishes. Ms. Brosnan Donnellon played the wide-eyed innocence beautifully as Constance experienced acceptance, joy, love, but ultimately exclusion.

She brought an astonishing physicality to the role. Constance begins and ends the show as a statue in Spindlewood’s town square. Her physicality was quite astounding and her stillness for long periods, as a statue, was quite mind-blowing. Her mechanical deportment as she came to life and the consistency of this physicality was brilliantly studied. Ms. Brosnan Donnellon was a mechanical entity, of that there was no doubt, but she balanced this mechanical inhumanity of Constance with an almost childlike, beautifully endearing humanity.

She also had the most beautiful melodious voice and every single note and word had meaning as she conveyed the emotions and dynamics of this beautiful score. ‘A Story of My Own’ was full of heartfelt longing, with a most stunning vocal and ‘Where You'll Be,’ with Will, was a moving, memorable duet. Ms. Brosnan Donnellon had an incredible emotional range and her upset at Will's death and her beautiful vocal in ‘Clockwork’ rounded off what was an exceptional performance.

Michael-Anthony Greene was the perfect match for Constance as Will Riley and the storyteller. Part narrator, part leading man, Mr. Greene delivered a top-notch performance as Constance's love interest. “All great legends are born in truth,” Mr. Greene narrated, as he went on to paint the picture of Constance and the legend that surrounded her. This was such a thoughtful performance, played with great sincerity and exceptional comic timing. Mr. Greene was a wonderfully clever storyteller, relaxed and charismatic. He also has the most beautiful tenor voice. As mentioned, ‘Where You'll Be’ was a stunningly gorgeous duet with Ms. Brosnan Donnellon. Mr. Greene had exceptionally natural stagecraft. Every action had meaning and thought behind it. I won't ruin the unexpected twist in the tale which centres around Will at the end of the show, but it was heartbreaking and, I must admit, brought a tear to my eye, thanks to Mr. Greene’s sincerity.

Alan Teahan was very strong as Spindlewood’s clockmaker, Abraham Reed, who struggles to come to terms with the death of his daughter and creates a mechanical replication to combat his loss and loneliness. Mr. Teahan balanced many complex and conflicted sides to Abraham's character. There was fatherly concern as he endeavoured to keep Constance safe but there was desperation in his fear of losing a loved one again, which gave rise to anger when Constance disobeyed him by sneaking into the town without his permission. ‘You're Still Here’ was beautifully heartfelt as he recalled his late daughter. Whilst he struggled slightly in the upper register, most likely because of vocal tiredness towards the end of the run, it was a beautifully poignant interpretation of the song. I loved Mr. Teahan's wonder at seeing Constance’s very first movements. It was akin to a father holding his baby for the first time and his realisation that she was cognitive was beautifully played.

Siobhain Bustin was a wonderfully natural actress in the role of Amelia. Her diction and presence were excellent and her beautifully expressive voice was showcased perfectly in ‘Raise a Glass’ at the end of Act One. Her strength as an actress and her emotional range was evident as Amelia stood up for Constance. An excellent performance from Miss Buston.

Lauralee Curtin played the show's antagonist, Ma Riley. This was a very well-played role which at times bordered on villainous caricature but always managed to stay on the right side of believability. Ms. Curtin played Ma as a self-centered, greedy businesswoman. We were immediately aware of her avarice when she changed her tune so quickly in her opening scene at the prospect of making a few bob. In spite of Ma Riley's negative traits, Ms. Curtin got a lot of comedy out of the role too. I loved her thundering looks towards Constance at the wedding, disgusted by her presence. And things turned quite dark as we became aware of her deviousness in trying to convince the townspeople that Constance had shot Will. 

Tim Moran had excellent presence and wonderful diction as Mayor Glynn. His fabulous voice was evident in ‘Market Day’ and he was exceptionally strong presiding over ‘A Town Meeting’ with his authoritative voice and his wonderful vocal.

Aaron McLarnon was equally strong as the mayor's son, Henry. Mr. McLarnon had some beautiful moments. He was beautifully naive in Ma's dress shop pleading for something to be done with Amelia's soiled dress. The thought process behind him offering her the watch that his father had given him was very well played with plenty of subtext. Mr. McLarnon was a natural actor, nothing forced, very sincere. A very impressive portrayal overall.

Anne Marie Earley was a neurotic Mab, Mayor Glynn’s assistant, and Mike Lynch was strong as Mr. Reece who arrived in Spindlewood to offer Constance a dressmaking position in the city.

The seamstresses in Ma Riley's shop were played by Sarah Brett as Cara, Tracy O'Keeffe as Rhiannon, Sharon Walsh as Lucille, Amy Naughton as Moll, and Deirdre Houlihan as Jane. This was a very strong quintet and I loved their collective performance in the beautifully moved ‘A Modest Modiste’ Ms. O'Keeffe was an excellent actress and as Rhiannon she ultimately stood up to Ma Riley, as she tried to implicate Constance in Will's shooting. Ms. Naughton had an exceptional vocal as Moll in ‘Market Day.’ There was great joy as she recalled the dress being made for her by Constance. She was strong and forthright coming to Amelia's aid as both stood up for Constance. 

The ensemble was exceptionally strong throughout. I noted the faces of every individual on stage during the show’s joyous opening, The Turning of the Key.’ There were no passengers. Everyone was acting, reacting, and performing out of their skins. Their timing, focus, and commitment throughout the show was exceptional. And, of course, all was very positive until the mob mentality kicked in during ‘A Town Meeting.’ Wonderful work from all.

Stage management, in the very capable hands of Des Hurley, was extremely strong. There was great handling of the stage left and stage right revolves which opened out seamlessly and were timed to perfection. Fly pieces were cued perfectly and everything flowed with exceptional ease. The bridge piece slid on effortlessly and all of the trucked items were so professionally handled and moved. 

The set, with its theme of clockwork and time, had a highly professional aesthetic based on the inner workings of a clock. There were cogs and wheels everywhere and the concept for the set was quite stunning. I loved the reveal of Spindlewood's statue at the top of the show. The stage right and stage left revolves which housed Abraham's workshop and Ma Riley's dress shop were fabulously constructed. The centre stage bridge complete with cog detail and the steps all looked wonderful. The rotating cogs which combined with sound effects were a very clever way of covering scene changes. 

Lighting was excellent from the start. It was wonderfully appropriate, creating the perfect atmosphere and focus throughout. There was great use of follow spots and amazingly fluid transitions from one state to another. ‘Raise a Glass’ had stunning lighting for the wedding hooley. There simply aren't enough superlatives to describe what was an outstanding lighting plot from start to finish. 

Sound was equally good with very good sound quality throughout. The orchestra was perfectly balanced and the sound technician had a difficult job with so many soloists and chorus members and even live musicians on stage. But this was an excellent job. There was exceptional sound quality and mixing in the larger choral numbers and the band never overpowered the vocals which were always heard and were allowed to drive the narrative.

Exactly as it should be. 

There were some brilliantly chosen graphics which added great depth to the set with some beautifully evocative stills as well as some animated sequences which added so much authenticity to the overall aesthetic. 

There was superb attention to detail in the props department. Ma Riley's dress shop had measuring tapes, tailor's dummies, and rolls of material. There were fabulously authentic tools and clocks in Abraham's workshop. Care needed to be taken with the positioning of the large lamp on Mayor Glynn’s desk, which blocked his face as he was sitting down in his opening scene with Henry. There were very authentic tools, baskets, etc. for the townsfolk and I loved the turf cutters which again brought great authenticity to proceedings. 

Costumes were superb from the modern-day look of the opening, which was colourful and bright, to the period-specific, 19th century, rustic feel. Costuming reflected the social status and professions of the citizens of Spindlewood and Constance’s look set her nicely apart from the ‘real’ people. Overall, everything appeared to be historically accurate, with good attention to detail in the costume plot overall. A great job all round.There was great attention to detail also in the hair and makeup department with everything appearing to be era-appropriate and nothing appearing out of place.

This was an exceptional theatrical experience with an excellent cast and production team. Tralee Musical Society created a truly epic production; one which will be remembered and spoken about for many years to come. The bar has been set for future productions of this beautiful tale and I expect it is a show that will become very popular on the AIMS circuit in the years ahead. It was a privilege to attend.

Pat McElwain

Gilbert Adjudicator 2024/2025

Photo by Jim Sheehy