Amid the Mirk Over the Irk: When Irish Meets Klezmer

Either side of an innocuous, unremarkable river live two immigrant communities shunned by the city in which they live; yet, these communities came here in search of better times away from pogrom and famine.

Where is “here”? Well…”here” can be anywhere, but for the sake of argument let’s say 19th-Century Manchester and the River Irk that flows through it. Though their cultures seem wildly different, there is more that unites them that divides them, in spite of the noxious river between them.

In this imagined meeting-of-worlds gig theatre, the musical fusion of Jewish Klezmer and Irish Trad is explored in all its joy, melancholy, love, sadness, and infectious danceability; although perhaps discordant on first hearing, Amid the Mirk Over the Irk explores the natural and quirky points of intersection between these 2 deeply personally significant folk dance musics and – by association – their cultures, through their 7-8 piece folk-fusion band, short stories, and evocative visuals. It explores the intrigue, awkwardness, and respect of unfamiliar cultures sharing the same space.

The show took Manchester by storm in 2016 when it played to full houses at the Manchester Jewish Museum featuring local legends Mike McGoldrick, Dezi Donnolly, and Ange Durcan.

Since then it has played around the North West, reaching the finals for Manchester Culture Awards and Celtic Connections Danny Kyle Open Stage competition in 2022.