James Joyce and 'Ulysses' comes to Nenagh

Have you ever read a book that included a toilet visitation, a bar room brawl, an act of seduction, naughty shenanigans on a beach, lewd thoughts, adultery, a drunken orgy, and a detailed description of urinating in a back garden? And all of this happening in just one day!

If you haven’t, then you haven’t read James Joyce’s 'Ulysses'!

'Ulysses' is considered to be one of the greatest, if not the greatest, novel ever written. But how many people have read it? Very few, by all accounts.

Have you ever wondered what it’s all about and why it’s so celebrated? And why it’s such a difficult book to read? Now is your chance to find out, and have a great evening’s fun and entertainment at the same time, because James Joyce and 'Ulysses' is coming to Nenagh.

Robert Gogan, the writer, actor and Joycean enthusiast will be performing his celebrated one-man show 'Strolling Through Ulysses!' at Nenagh Library for one performance only on June 12th. 'Strolling Through Ulysses!' tells the fun-filled story of Bloomsday - June 16th 1904 - the iconic day around which James Joyce’s 'Ulysses' is based.

“When I started performing the show first I had no idea if people would be interested” says Gogan, “but I’ve discovered that they certainly are! I suppose one of the reasons is that the show is aimed at people who have never read 'Ulysses', or have tried to read it and failed. The show, just like the book, has its bawdy and irreverent moments but it’s also great fun! I have a life-long interest in Joyce’s work, particularly 'Ulysses', and I love standing up in front of people and telling them all about the book and portraying some of the quirky characters and presenting some of the hilarious scenes.

“To most people’s surprise, 'Ulysses' is a very funny book and Joyce wrote it with the full intention of making people laugh. He once famously declared, ‘there is not one serious line in it’, and I think that 'Strolling Through Ulysses!' certainly proves that! The feedback from audiences to date has been amazing and very positive. The main comment I get after shows is ‘I never knew that Ulysses was like that'!”

'Strolling Through Ulysses!' is branded ‘over 16s’ by Gogan. “I’m being a bit cautious here”, he says, “because there are several events in the book where Joyce reduces our bodily functions to a very basic and amusing level. I don’t sensationalise these instances, and neither does Joyce in the book, but I do include some of them in the show. I don’t want to upset any parents who might not like to expose their children to any such matters.”

Gogan has also edited a new edition of 'Ulysses' in which he has added some punctuation and formatting to help people to read the novel and get the maximum enjoyment from it. 'Ulysses Remastered' will be available after the show.

You can take a stroll through 'Ulysses' with Robert Gogan in Nenagh Library on Tuesday June 12th at 6.45pm. Admission is free, but booking is advisable. If you wish to reserve a place, you should contact the library at (067) 34404.

Further information is available at Nenagh Library and also at www.strollingthroughulysses.com.