Here's what happens when aliens, babies and the Catholic Church collide

Kim Sheehan is seven months pregnant, which might even be an advantage for her dance-opera role as a woman who’s been impregnated by visitors from space, writes Colette Sheridan.

Mon, 23 Oct, 2017 - 01:00

Colette Sheridan

How’s this for authenticity: Soprano, Kim Sheehan, is playing a pregnant woman in a dance opera while in real life, Sheehan is seven months pregnant.

However, the Cork-born singer, described by the Financial Times as having a “(a voice) that sets the pulse racing,” is playing a woman who has been impregnated by aliens.

Unlike her own pregnancy, Sheehan’s unnamed character’s pregnancy in Extraterrestrial Events, is unwelcome and is a source of fear and confusion. The show previewed in Paris and had its premiere at the Dublin Dance Festival in May. It is inspired by reports of UFO sightings investigated by the French Space Agency. It also explores truth and denial and, according to the publicity material, “was created as a reaction to Ireland’s history of denying women autonomy over their own bodies and the social implication of a state still heavily influenced by the Church”.

The role was written specifically for Sheehan by composer, Michael Gallen. Choreographer Philip Connaughton, who stars as Sheehan’s companion, wanted someone who could dance and sing.

“The production is now slightly different to the premiere in terms of movement for me. I went to dance classes in Cork when I was younger and did lots of dance exams and had to do ballet when I went to the Zurich Opera Studio. I pride myself on being well able to move around a stage.”

Sheehan keeps on her toes by making sure she gets plenty of sleep before performances. “At times, I can get a bit breathless but physically, it’s ok. I have to be vocally considerate to the baby because I’m creating quite a lot of volume. A baby (in the womb) doesn’t want to listen to you singing too loud.”

Extraterrestrial Events also features four dancers. “Working with dancers is very interesting. The music is very contemporary. It’s tricky and the rhythm changes quite a lot. The dancers are extraordinarily musical. But a lot of the music is free flowing. It’s not going to be exactly the same every time I perform it. It’s me and Philip, and Michael Gallen on piano. There is no conductor. The opera is very dependent on my character. She has a lot of depth. At times, she is very unsure of herself. The character is wary of everyone and everything around her. The dancers become aliens.”

There is a strange dichotomy going on in this opera. “It’s about the fact that the woman’s body is completely taken over by aliens. But it’s also the case that she controls her body at the same time. She doesn’t allow her companion to see any of the emotional trauma that she is experiencing. She can control that situation.”

Sheehan says that Extraterrestrial Events is really open to audience interpretation. Even the ‘fact’ of her character’s impregnation by aliens isn’t spelled out. “Nothing is too

obvious. But the fact that I’m seven months pregnant makes that element of the show obvious. We’re hoping the audience will pick up on different aspects of the piece.”

Sheehan’s character is prodded and poked by the aliens. “All sorts of awful things happen to her. While it’s mainly represented vocally, it’s still I think quite traumatic for the audience to watch. The aliens take the character hostage. You can see some physical action but the lights are down low during this scene.”

The character is not a total victim. Even though she is considered mad and will probably be admitted to a lunatic asylum, she’s ready to take that on.

Sheehan and her composer husband, Tom Hodge, are looking forward to the birth of their second daughter close to Christmas time. Their 13-month daughter, Florence, has been attending rehearsals of Extraterrestrial Events. Quite what the child makes of the dance opera is anyone’s guess. A bit like the audiences who are encouraged to make their own minds up about this layered piece.