Storytelling—Theatre
Maria D’Arcy

Bloomsdays June 16th join Maria D’Arcy, Sheldon Forrest and friends in Lionel Bloom’s Swan Bar at 165, boulevard Montparnasse for A Celebration of James Joyce and his most famous literary work, 4–6 pm Sunday readings, Irish sing-along and a spot of ceili dancing.

Maria D’Arcy introducing guest performers at the Bloomsday Anniversary at the Swan Bar in Paris, June 16th 2009. —photo by David Henry

Follow­ing a success­ful one-woman show “Exotic tales and dances from Celtic literature,” at the Irish Cultural Centre (CCI) Maria has been invited to perform regularly at Shakespeare & Company, the famous Paris bookshop opposite Notre-Dame. Equally, she did storytelling shows in Montmartre art galleries, Paris soirées, Électron Libre, The Auld Alliance, Le Cave Café and many other venues. She studied voice and speech at the Gaiety school of acting in Dublin where she became aware of the beauty of good diction and interpretative phrasing. She put her skills to full use to bring Molly Bloom to life on the 100th anniversary of the publication of Ulysses, and she enacted the fireworks scene from Nausicaa, chapter 13. Oscar Wilde and Robert Burns texts are equally playful opportunities for honing articulation. In Paris, as well as performing, Maria passes on these pronunciation techniques as an English teacher based on the Tomatis method.

In awe of these literary masters, her greatest aspiration is to do justice to their compelling genius, bringing these works vibrantly to life.

The attentive journalist Patricia Killeen commented that if James Joyce, Oscar Wilde or Robert Burns were alive today, they would applaud, saying Maria does justice to their works.

Maria’s goal is to make the extracts accessible, irresistible and exuberant. Joyce Good and other spectators say that it’s the first time they have fully understood the theatre piece, that she relives the story, with drama and humour. The selected roles are a celebration of femininity and womanly wiles.

Maria is also a trained Arabian dancer and has performed to many an Irish audience, appeared on Irish TV and is now delighting The French International set by mixing in the magic of dancing in veils with the opium of pure literature. Recently, in 2022, she learned the craft of voice-over reels with a view to acting in commercials, etc. Calling all artistic directors and casting agents to please look at her theatre CV.

Oscar Wilde reworked the famous bible story of “Salomé” into a lyrical, intoxicatingly powerful legend of obsession and desire. A fiery, spoiled young Princess is riveted when she hears the thunderous yet velveteen voice of John The Baptist—and recognizes in him a passionate, frenzied spirit akin to her own.

Another milestone was acting out an extract from the humorous witchy story Tam O’Shanter by Robert Burns at Paris Lit up, a gathering of poets, musicians and actors.

She aspires to seduce him languorously but is so outraged when he rejects, renounces, refuses even to look at her that she vows the kiss him, come what may. A truly perverse way presents itself: an offer of whatsoever she would please for deigning to dance for the lecherous King Herod. She dances the fabled, the entrancing “Dance of The Seven Veils.”

Maria D’Arcy presented Oscar Wilde’s Salomé on Saint Patrick’s Day on Bateau Daphné, a boat on the river Seine in Paris, and again at Le Chat Noir for Spokenword. Here is a spontaneous reading from a first edition of Salomé found in Ulysses Rare Books shop in 2022.

Watch an interview with Maria D’Arcy about her origins and the transition from Dublin to Paris, with Jilliana Ranicar-Breese.

Maria launched her own novel, Seventh Heaven Seven Perceptions on of May 7th 2021 and the book is now on the prestigious shelves of Shakespeare and Company. She read an entertaining extract about the Atheist.

At your service

Event entertainment: Cultural events: storytelling
From Irish and Scottish Literature.
James Joyce’s “Gerty MacDowell”
James Joyce’s “Molly Bloom’ (in English or French)
Oscar Wilde’s “Salomé”
Robert Burns’s “Tam O’Shanter”
Performance fee: €60 for one performance/ € 100 for two in Paris, + Travel expenses elsewhere.

A Homage to Shane MacGowan: Radio broadcast recorded live in Paris at O’Sullivan’s pub Franklin Roosevelt in June 2024 by host Patricia Killeen for Turning Points Paris.

Lisez un texte de Lydia Khripouchine sur les contes et danses celtiques de Maria D’Arcy…

Contact: Maria D’Arcy 75017 Paris France
Tel: +33 (0)6 83 27 23 80; e-mail:

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All images, vidéos and text are © 2024, Maria D’Arcy, all rights reserved. Written permission is required for any use.