Looking for Bang-Bang was scripted, based on the verbatim of people in the Dublin area and was originally performed as a work in progress in 2001 as part of the Bealtaine festival. The piece was the result of a six month residency at the Therapeutic Unit, Department of Psychiatry of Old Age, James Connolly Memorial Hospital in Dublin.

During the project Shadowbox worked with a group of participants from the unit exploring creative writing, storywork and reminiscence through their Recall and Imagine programme.It was from this work that we came across the character Bang-Bang, who was an old Dublin character who used to travel on the buses, he was a great favourite to the group and known of by all of them. Some members of the group recalled seeing him for the first time; often they described what he wore, how he spoke and where they would have seen him. Another character that came up was a well-known guard called 1,2,3 or ‘the shadow’, he was renowned for giving summonses to the children, for mitching school and playing football in the streets. Many of the group knew of him and all knew of summonses for one thing or another, and had been affected by being sent away as children or their siblings being sent away as the result of summonses.

Looking for Bang Bang was first performed at Draíocht Arts Centre, the audience included all the original contributors to the piece.

Original Looking for Bang-Bang Collaborators
Frieda Hand Facilitator/Shadowbox
Gemma Gallagher Facilitator/shadowbox
Rose Coyle Head of Unit
Liz Greene Actor
Simon Keogh Actor
Shelagh Wright - Producer

This Project was supported by The Arts Council’s Artist in Community Scheme and
Fingal County Council Community and Culture Department.

The production was further commissioned to tour Nursing Homes and Hospitals in Ireland, culminating in performances in the Civic Theatre in Tallaght.
Funded by HSE

In 2018 the piece was re-imagined for the International Literature Festival Dublin