Participants | Maz O'Connor, Tinuke Craig, Martin Bassindale, Alan Flanagan, Rebecca Gilhooley, Dale Mathurin, Rosie Hilal, Bebe Sanders, Jeremy LLoyd, Josh Maddison, Brendan O'Rouke, Nicola Lyons, Dave Delarre

Folk singer Maz O’Connor treads new boards as she creates her first piece of music theatre, which tells the true story of Bridget Cleary, a woman who was murdered by her husband in 19th-Century Tipperary because he believed her to be a faery changeling.

‘The Wife of Michael Cleary’ is a work-in-progress piece of music theatre composed by Maz O’Connor. It is based on the true story of Bridget Cleary, a dressmaker from Tipperary who, in 1895, was burned to death by her husband and family because they believed her to be a fairy changeling. The piece combines traditional Irish folk music with musical theatre-style songs and explores themes of superstition, patriarchy, nationalism, group violence and the oppression of women who challenge the norms of a given culture.

Originally from Cumbria, British singer and composer Maz O’Connor is a unique artist, with a stunning voice, intelligent, bold lyrics and a talent for story-telling. She’s released 3 albums and gained a loyal following since winning a BBC Performing Arts Fund Fellowship in 2014. During this year she wrote her album ‘This Willowed Light’, which earned her a nomination for the BBC Radio 2 Folk Horizon Award and appearances at high profile festivals such as Cambridge Folk Festival, WOMAD and Glastonbury.