Wednesday 8th to Saturday 11th April @ 8pm

sassyCOW presents

The Scent of a Mock Orange

Written by Ciara Ní Tuathaigh
Directed by Sinéad Crowley

The Scent of a Mock Orange is a raw, intimate, and darkly humorous one-woman show that invites audiences into the fractured inner world of Mara, a young woman attempting to make sense of the emotional wreckage she has carried for over a decade. Haunted by the unresolved grief of her mother’s suicide, Mara has learned to survive by moving quickly, speaking sharply, and never pausing long enough for the truth to catch up with her. But when her chaotic life begins to crack, she is forced to confront the revelations and realities that she can no longer outrun.

Through a blend of sharp storytelling, confessional monologue, and moments of startling vulnerability, Mara retraces the chaos of her past — the relationships she has broken and the boundaries she has blurred. As she unpacks the tangled threads of grief and addiction, she begins to ask questions she has spent years avoiding: Where does longing end and self-destruction begin? What happens when the body becomes both refuge and battlefield? And who do we become when, or if, we finally allow ourselves to stop running?

Written and performed by Ciara Ní Tuathaigh and directed by Sinéad Crowley, The Scent of a Mock Orange premiered at Cork Fringe 2025, where its blend of grit, candour, and dark humour struck a deep chord with audiences. The debut production of sassyCOW Productions, this female-led company is committed to amplifying the complicated, unvarnished realities of contemporary womanhood. This is not a story of neat resolutions — Mara ends where she began, circling her own unrest. What remains is her mess — haunting, human, and impossible to shake.

“Sensational! A seamless blend of light and shade, heart and humour. You’ll find yourself thinking about Mara and her beautiful messiness long after the curtain falls, hoping she’ll be alright. An absolute must-see” – Rosie O’Byrne, La Vie en Rosie

Running time: 90 minutes
Age recommendation: 18+
Trigger Warnings:  Partial nudity, sexual content, mentions or depictions of sexual violence/assault, suicide and depression, drug use and substance abuse, alcohol consumption and misuse, strong/explicit language.

Ticket Prices: €20, €15 conc.
*Booking fees apply.