Charlie the Klepto Steals Hearts and Minds in Mick Lally Theatre in Galway

Some say that the arts make fun of working class people. Too often they are stereotyped. Shown as lazy, shifty, thieving and ne’er do wells. I was expecting much the same when I went to see a play “Charlies a Klepto” in the Mick Lally Theatre.

Im glad to say, I was very wrong indeed.

The performance

As a monologue, delivered in over an hour, Clare Monnelly excells. She wrote the play also. Part of Axis Ballymun, she is a talent to watch.

While keeping the energy, the attitude and the ambiance of the situations, she never misses a word. The script is unforgiving. There is not much room to ad-lib.

Scenes flash over and back in the story of Charlie – a girl, probably Charlotte is the real name – as all her past deeds catch up with her in a comedy of errors that either ends well or it doesnt.

When you see the play, should you get a chance to catch it, that paragraph will make sense.

The people and the plot

The dysfunctional families parodied in Shameless, My Family and similar programmes is the theme here. Charlie is a product of her upbringing. When you are introduced to her family you soon see why.

But by the end of it, the bad folk show their good side too. The message of the play is Charlie takes responsibility for how her life turns out in future, come what may.

The parable of the play

An important message for us all to remember. Life may deal you a crap hand of cards. But its up to you how to play it.

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