Theatre That Speaks to Its Moment: Melt (2017) by Shane Mac an Bhaird

• Main Author: María del Mar González Chacón
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English; Spanish
• Published: Asociación Española de Estudios Irlandeses 2022
• Subjects: shane mac an bhaird; melt; anthropocene; social activism; environmental impact; contemporary irish theatre; litt; hist; Antarctic; The Antarctic; Antarc*
• Online Access: https://www.estudiosirlandeses.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/EI-17-Mar-González-Chacón-def.pdf; https://doaj.org/article/3508fa8f29194475ba658ce033162b80

In Melt (2017), by Shane Mac an Bhaird, two Irish scientists struggle in the Antarctic to reach glory from their research while Veba, a female creature found in the subglacial lake, questions the reality or fantasy of the episode. The study carried out in this article considers, first, the context of creation of the play through the presentation of the concept of new Irish theatres in the millennium, which involves the appearance of companies and social activism movements that challenge the notion of what theatre means. This is followed by an analysis of Ireland and the Anthropocene, to contextualise the play themes and include other social justice activisms, in the form of cultural projects, which encourage the reduction of the environmental impact and provide a backdrop against which Melt emerged. The approach to the play from these perspectives will lead to the conclusions, which aim to show why Mac an Bhaird’s work offers and confirms new perspectives in contemporary Irish theatre. Furthermore, the study aims to contribute to the deserving scholarship for this play, which has not yet received much critical attention.