Play by mother and baby institution survivor aims to dispel shame

A powerful new play written by a survivor of a mother and baby institution is at the centre of an innovative creative heritage project taking place this autumn.

Aiming to dispel the shame and address the trauma faced by young women in a brutal system that forced young unmarried mothers to give up their babies, the project will also involve a series of workshops, oral history recordings and a digital exhibition.

The Marian Hotel is a moving drama based on the real-life experiences of the writer, Caitriona Cunningham, who gave birth to her daughter in the Marianvale home in Newry.

Produced by Derry-based theatre company Sole Purpose, the play opens in September, coinciding with the sitting of an expert panel that is currently taking evidence from survivors ahead of a full public inquiry. The production will tour venues in Newry, Derry, Letterkenny and Belfast and comes to Strabane’s Alley Theatre on November 14.

Sole Purpose artistic director Patricia Byrne explained, “The play is a searing portrayal of a dark time in Irish history. The inquiry in the North of Ireland has just got underway after a three year delay and this play is a call to all those impacted to come forward and raise their voices so that they may never again be silenced and shamed for being human.

“Victims suffer ongoing trauma related to abuse in the institutions, reflecting the legacy of a deep culture of shame about unmarried mothers in Irish society. As a direct testimony from a survivor, this play can connect in a unique way and may help to encourage those impacted to come forward to give their testimony to the Inquiry.”

The play is set in 1979 against the backdrop of the Troubles and follows 19-year-old Kitty from Derry who goes into the home after becoming pregnant. She meets other young women in a similar situation and they form a bond coping with the strict regime and rigid discipline of the institution. It is packed full of humour in adversity, as they cope with the spartan conditions, poor food and hard work in the laundry. The girls sarcastically label the institution ‘The Marian Hotel’.

Writer Caitriona said, “I hope that audiences will get a sense of how things were for unmarried pregnant women, how ‘given up’ for adoption should have been termed ‘taken for adoption’. These institutions are part of our recent history, the effects they have had on our society still reverberate today.

“I was one of the lucky ones. When I came out of Marianvale I got my daughter back at three months old and went on with my life. But I was very ashamed of having been through the system. I didn’t talk about it until recently but I always thought about the other women, especially around my daughter’s birthday.

“Many women and their children were never reunited, for some it is too late but I hope that this play will help to open up discussions and that ultimately there will be no more shame,” she added.

For more information and how to book tickets for The Marian Hotel go to: www.solepurpose.org