“Tear my head off, Bear. Claw out my heart.”

Adapted by Cliodhna McAllister, from the novel by Marian Engel.

Led by animal instinct. Intoxicated by primal desire. Marked by violent passion. When Lou meets Bear, she is forever changed.

‘Bear’ is the provocative tale of a woman’s transformative experience on a remote Canadian island. Dispatched to catalogue the contents of the island’s abandoned nineteenth-century estate, Lou finds she is not alone – there’s always a bear on Cary Island. And there are always secrets. 

Consumed by primal desire, Lou’s relationship with Bear takes her on a journey of sexual and spiritual awakening. She won’t leave the island the same woman she used to be.

Blacklight is proud to premiere ‘Bear’  – the first adaptation of Marian Engel’s acclaimed and controversial novel – at CQAF 2022.

Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival 2022 | 5 & 6 May | 8PM | 2 Royal Avenue | Tickets £8 from www.cqaf.com/bear

Cast: Aoife Honohan

Writer & Director: Cliodhna McAllister

Producer: Fionnuala Ryan

Costume Design: Henrique Caliento

Set Design: Chris Merton

Sound Design/Op: Jamie Bishop

Lighting Design/Op: Courtenay Claire Drakos

Supported by the Pavilion Theatre Dún Laoghaire, Future Foundations NI, and the Arts Council of Ireland.