REVIEW -MÁM | THE LOWRY | 3/02/2026

MÁM at The Lowry – A Whirlwind of Movement, Music and Magic

Choreographed and directed by Michael Keegan-Dolan, and produced by Teaċ Daṁsa, MÁM is an Olivier Award-nominated dance-theatre work that first premiered at Sadler’s Wells in 2020. It now arrives at The Lowry as part of Dance Consortium’s UK tour, which also marks a notable first: the first time Dance Consortium has toured a company from Ireland.

Created after Keegan-Dolan moved Teaċ Daṁsa to West Kerry in 2019, the production draws deeply from the landscape, language and musical traditions of that region, giving the piece a strong sense of place even as it remains open to interpretation.

MÁM isn’t interested in a neat, linear narrative — instead it unfolds like a living collage of community, ritual and raw emotion. A group dynamic is at the heart of the piece: people gathering, separating, circling back, celebrating, clashing, mourning and reconnecting.

There’s an unmistakable sense of rural Irish life woven through it, not in a literal “here’s the plot” way, but in the feeling of it — the shared history, the unspoken tensions, the humour that flickers through the darkness, and the pull of tradition alongside the push of something new. A young girl remains a steady presence throughout, acting as a quiet still point amid the constant motion around her.

Visually, MÁM is stripped back in a way that keeps your attention exactly where it should be: on bodies, breath, and the electricity between movement and music. Sabine Dargent’s set design works in layers, gradually revealing the space and helping the piece feel like it’s shifting through different worlds without ever needing a big, literal scene change.

The atmosphere is heightened by Adam Silverman’s lighting design, which moves between shadowy otherworldliness and stark clarity, often making the stage feel like a place where something ancient could appear at any moment.

Costume design by Hyemi Shin leans into black formalwear, creating an instantly recognisable “gathering” look — part celebration, part ceremony, part wake — and that ambiguity becomes a real strength as the tone shifts.

Choreographically, MÁM is relentless (in the best way). The ensemble work is incredibly precise, then suddenly wild and uncontained. Movement can be rhythmic and grounded one moment, and explosive the next — stamping, spinning, twisting, and throwing bodies into space with the kind of fearlessness that makes you hold your breath.

And the music? It’s not accompaniment — it’s a partner. Live on stage, Cormac Begley’s concertina playing anchors the performance, joined by stargaze, with a score built from traditional West Kerry folk songs shaped through a collaborative process. Live sound design by Sandra Ní Mhathúna helps bind it all together, making the performance feel immersive and immediate, like the music is coming from the floorboards as much as the instruments.

This is truly an ensemble piece, and the strength of MÁM lies in how the performers operate as a community — constantly forming, reforming, and responding to one another in the moment. The cast bring extraordinary stamina and commitment, shifting seamlessly between unison movement, fractured pairings, and emotionally charged group sequences.

The company includes Aki Iwamoto, Amit Noy, Bea Bidault, Caimin Gilmore, Cormac Begley, Daniel Mayers, David Six, Delilah Neilson, Dylan Lynch, Holly Vallis, Imogen Alvares, Ino Riga, Jimmy Southward, Kayva Van Gangelen, Keir Patrick, Kim Ceysens, Mayah Kadish, Timon Koomen, Nina Harries and Verena Zeiner.

MÁM is the kind of production you don’t just watch — you experience it. It’s intense, strange, playful, unsettling, joyful… sometimes all at once. It doesn’t hand you meaning on a plate, but it absolutely gives you something to feel, and it’s that emotional pull — created through the communion of movement and live music — that makes it so transfixing.

If you love dance theatre that’s bold, physical and full of atmosphere, MÁM at The Lowry is a really gripping night out.

A fierce, folkloric whirlwind of dance and live music that stays with you

MÁM will be at The Lowry until Wednesday, 4th February 2026. Tickets are available for purchase through the link provided below.

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For more information about the show, please click the button below to visit the official website.

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Photo Credit - Ros Kavanagh

*Our tickets for this show were kindly gifted in exchange for an honest review.