Revisiting a body of work pays dividends for Futureproof

Futureproof may be set in a circus freak show, but its themes of bodily autonomy have obvious echoes in the wider world, writes Colette Sheridan

A TRAVELLING freak show that has come to the end of the line is the subject of Cork-born writer, Lynda Radley’s play, Futureproof. The stars of Riley’s Odditorium are a hermaphrodite called George/Georgina; Tiny, the world’s fattest man; Countess Marketa, an armless bearded lady; conjoined twins, Millie and Lillie; and Serena, a mermaid.

The play, which will be performed at the Everyman in Cork for the Midsummer Festival, was originally commissioned by the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh and had its award-winning first run in Scotland in 2011. It raises questions about the struggle for selfhood and bodily autonomy. The freaks have to reinvent themselves for the contemporary world. The original production was “very much sepia-toned Victoriana”, says director Tom Creed. This new production references make-over culture and competitive cosmetic surgery.