Marina Carr: ‘I’d love to write a comedy but I would fall flat on my face if I tried’

The playwright on ‘the light and the dark’ in her writing, maternal loss, her new play Audrey or Sorrow and why she stays away from social media

Playwright Marina Carr at The Abbey Theatre. Photo: Steve Humphreys

Katy Hayes

On the Abbey Theatre website, you can read ‘content advice’ about the various productions. The entry for Audrey or Sorrow, Marina Carr’s new play, provides the following list: cot death, child loss, postnatal depression, bereavement, family dynamics. All dark subjects.

By contrast, Carr in person is full of lightness and charm. She is tall and elegant and thoughtful. She lives with her husband, a social worker, and they have four kids ranging in age from 17 to 25, three of whom are now off pursuing studies and careers. She has had a full-time position as a lecturer in the School of English at DCU for over a decade. She walks her beloved dog Silky, “a gorgeous mongrel, a bit of springer spaniel, a bit of labrador, and jet black,” along the canal near where she lives in south Dublin. “A quiet life,” in her own words.