I am an educator, theatre maker and PhD candidate, based in the Northwest of Ireland. Following a degree (hons) in English and Psychology, I completed a Master of Arts in Creative Practice (specialism Playwrighting). I currently teach English part-time at secondary level in Donegal as well as undertaking my PhD. My area of research is religion and Irish theatre, examining the influences of religious ceremonies and rituals on Irish playwrights, under the supervision of Dr Niall Rea and Dr Keith Hopper. I will also focus on the use former churches as theatre spaces. My study will culminate in a piece of devised theatre. As an actor I have performed in many full-length plays, short films and TV shows. My writing is mainly inspired by my formative years and my borderland upbringing – a world of pubs, churches and agriculture.

In this paper, I will analyse the Catholic Mass as a performative event. Having spent my formative years serving as an altar boy, I was consistently captivated by the spectacle and theatricality inherent in the Mass. The service encompassed all elements of stagecraft. It began with donning liturgical vestments in the sacristy alongside fellow servers and the priest. I believe that this scenario parallels actors preparing backstage before presenting a performance, with the altar akin to a stage. The liturgy requires the memorization of specific movements and dialogues, like rehearsing a play. Additionally, the incorporation of lighting, auditory cues, and olfactory elements enhances the theatrical ambiance of the ritual. My active participation in these ceremonies, enriched with bells, books, and candles, heightened the vibrancy of the experience. The narrative of the quintessential tragic hero, depicted through pictorial representations, further contributes to the dramatic essence of the Mass. This elaborate pomp and ceremony provided a diversion that alleviated the potential monotony of the service. Personally, I found my involvement to be cathartic and derived considerable enjoyment from my role as an altar server.

This research will also investigate the repurposing of former church buildings as theatre venues, focusing on aspects such as acoustics, stage design, and architectural features. Additionally, the discourse considers the conceptualization of the church as a heterotopia, a space existing outside conventional societal norms — a space of otherness that is simultaneously physical and mental.

This analysis extends to an exploration of the Mass through the framework of the five senses. To undertake this project, I conducted extensive fieldwork in various church settings, immersing myself in the visual, auditory, and olfactory stimuli that characterize these sacred spaces. The rich imagery and iconography of the church has long captivated my interest, as has it distinctive scent. Additionally, I was struck by the unique acoustics of these ecclesiastical structures. The furnishings bear the marks of time, with key scratches on pine pews and marble water fonts smoothed by decades of devoted worshippers. My study also encompassed the tactile dimensions of religious ceremonies, including the handling of sacred objects. This sensory immersion reaches its culmination in the Eucharist, where the act of tasting, symbolizes the consumption of the body and blood of Christ.