Orla Mc Carthy & Majon van der Schot
Wit and Whimsy Research

Orla McCarthy & Majon van der Schot

Wit & Whimsy Research

19 to 26 April 2025

Wit & Whimsy is a playful yet poignant exploration of humor’s transformative potential as a tool for connection, resilience, and reflection. Blending dance, theatre, and live music, the work satirizes the absurdities of modern life—social media’s influence, wellness commodification, and the artifice of neoliberal culture—while inviting audiences to embrace the raw, ridiculous, and deeply human aspects of existence. Inspired by the Theatre of the Absurd, Wit & Whimsy uses distortion, slapstick, and interactive moments to dissolve barriers between performer and audience, creating a shared space of laughter, vulnerability, and authentic connection.

Wit & Whimsy emerges from an urgent desire to explore humor as a transformative tool for connection, resilience, and confrontation. This residency aims to deepen our exploration of the absurdities of modern life—such as social media’s influence, wellness commodification, and the artifice of neoliberal culture—through the playful yet poignant lens of dance, theatre, and live music.

By embracing humor, we seek to blur the boundaries between performer and audience, creating shared moments of laughter, vulnerability, and reflection. Drawing from the Theatre of the Absurd, our work challenges perceptions of normalcy and invites introspection by distorting everyday gestures into exaggerated forms. This approach makes contemporary dance accessible and inclusive, welcoming audiences of diverse backgrounds into the creative conversation.

We aim to connect with the local community by hosting two an open sharing of our research so far, which will include guided yin yoga and meditation, as well as performed excerpts from the work in progress, which is intended to evolve into a participatory stage show. You are welcome to take part or simply observe. This will take place on Friday 25 April at 3:00pm, book now by emailing info@westcorkartscentre.com

“Humor is a bridge to authenticity. In the face of life’s absurdities, laughter reconnects us to what is raw, ridiculous, and deeply human.”

Freelance Dance Artist Orla Mc Carthy, began her training in Shawbrook, Ireland, before earning a BA in contemporary dance from Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts. Working across Ireland, Germany, and the Netherlands, she has gained extensive performance experience working in freelance settings with renowned choreographers such as Meg Stuart, Connor Schumacher, Luke Murphy and Catherine Young and she spent four years with Dance Theatre Heidelberg under the direction of Iván Pérez. She is currently touring in ‘After After’ the work of Arno Schuitemaker. Her multidisciplinary creations explore human connection, with pieces like ‘PERSON A’ presented in Dock11, Berlin and the film ‘Orla & Sam’ showcased in Cindedans in Amsterdam. Orla’s work, recognized with residencies and funding, highlights the physical, mental, and creative benefits of dance. She recently choreographed and performed in ‘I am the machine’ by Nina Hynes which premiered at Dock11 Berlin in November 2024.

Majon van der Schot, a versatile freelance performer and costume designer from the Netherlands, brings a rich background in dance theater from the Fontys Dance Academy. Collaborating with renowned choreographers like Damien Jalet, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, and Connor Schumacher, she’s known for immersive projects such as ‘Funny, Soft, Happy and the Opposite’, ‘CLUBINC’, and ‘BLOOMING’. Notably, ‘BLOOMING’ was created in partnership with filmmaker Anna Bogomalova for the electronic music festival Waking Life in Portugal, offering audiences a physical experience mirroring the growth cycle of a tree and exploring sensory stimulation through costume changes. Beyond her creative pursuits, Majon remains dedicated to inclusivity, supporting neurodiverse bodies through her involvement with Theater group Babel in Rotterdam, where she continuously explores new realms of creativity and expression. Their show CLUBINC premiered in 2023 and toured till late in 2024. She is also one of the performers/collaborators in the new show R.A.V.E. (Raging, Against, Various, Elements) by ARK/Connor Schumacher that premiered early oktober 2024.

@orlamccarth @myownbymajon

https://orlamccarthy.myportfolio.com/choreography

Arts Council Ireland – Dance Bursary

WCAC acknowledges the financial support of Cork County Council and The Arts Council in making these residencies possible.