A Show for Sinéad

Known for her provocative, often incendiary per formances that blend punk aesthetics with raw, confrontational theatre, CHRISTEENE has carved out a unique space in the world of per formance art. Ahead of bringing her Sinéad O’Connor tribute show The Lion The Witch and The Cobra to Dublin, she spoke to Swantje Mohrbeck about the legac y of the late Irish singer and what audiences can expect from the production.

Photo by Danielle Levitt.

CHRISTEENE’s work is an amalgamation of music, visual art, and social commentary, designed to unsettle and provoke. Although originally meant to be a one-night-only project, she is bringing The Lion The Witch and The Cobra to the National Concert Hall, explaining: "It's a very special show. It's a branch of the tree of my life." The inception of this Sinéad O’Connor tribute was not a spontaneous decision but rather the culmination of years of admiration and reflection. "It was a thought I had in my head for years, leading up to the first show in 2019 that we did in London at the Barbican Centre."

O'Connor has been a significant figure in the musician's life, both as an artist and a woman of immense strength. "I've been very involved with the work of Sinéad O'Connor, as many of us have been, in the chapters of our lives," the artist shared. The Irish singer's music, characterised by its emotional depth and fearless confrontation of societal norms, has always "been very special and cherished" to CHRISTEENE. "I was also just so mesmerised by how she managed to find the strength to keep going in the world, under the immense pressure of a people on this planet," she reflected.

O'Connor's life was marked by struggles, both private and public, yet she continued to speak her truth, often at great personal cost. This courage, this refusal to be silenced, has struck a deep chord with CHRISTEENE. "I was just so in awe of her," she said, "and I wanted dearly, deeply, to celebrate that and to acknowledge that.”

When the performance artist and her band first performed The Lion The Witch and The Cobra in 2019, it was a celebration of O'Connor's life and work. However, five years on, the context has dramatically changed.

After Sinéad O'Connor passed away last year, her loss sent shockwaves through the music world and beyond. "She's now left the realm, and there's a lot of different emotions happening around it," CHRISTEENE expressed, acknowledging the profound sense of grief and loss that now permeates the performance.

Despite these heavy emotions, the artist felt it was essential to revisit the show. "It feels very right to me to have the opportunity to come to Dublin and to offer the show one more time, the last time," she said.

For CHRISTEENE and her team, this opportunity is both a gift and a responsibility.

Initially, the musician had no plans to revive the show, confessing she "had deep reservations about ever doing it again".

"I really wanted it to be a one-night experience. If you were there, you were there. If you weren't, you weren't."

But the world has changed dramatically in recent years, and with the loss of O'Connor, the artist felt a strong pull to return to the stage. "I felt I personally could really help myself and my heart and my head to revisit that experience," she shared.

Since the original performance in London, CHRISTEENE's band has evolved into a "tight and well-seasoned piece of meat," and she knew they could bring even more energy and power to the show this time around. "Everything lined up, all the ingredients were there, and I felt that it would be something that we all needed in these dark days we're in. So I'm very pleased to do it again."

In addition to CHRISTEENE's performance, The Lion The Witch and The Cobra features collaborations with other powerful queer artists, including Peaches and David Hoyle. The combination of the three on stage is, as CHRISTEENE describes, "quite a cocktail”. Together, they create a performance that is not only a tribute to Sinéad O'Connor but also a powerful statement about art, resistance, and community.

At the heart of The Lion The Witch and The Cobra is a deep respect for Sinéad O'Connor's legacy. O'Connor was not just a musician; she was a beacon of courage in a world that often demands conformity.

"The most important thing, I think, for all of us creatures on this planet, is to have the courage to stand by your beliefs and to say what your heart tells you to say without fear. Many creatures carry this fear with them, and it stops you from being who you want to be," she explained. But O'Connor, CHRISTEENE insists, showed us another way. "Sinéad did those things, and that action and that courage, I think that is something we can all learn from.

"I think this show is a place for us to lay those feelings down and remind ourselves that just because she's not with us anymore, that doesn't mean that those actions and those thoughts are less relevant."

For CHRISTEENE, O'Connor's debut album, Lion and the Cobra, encapsulates this fearlessness and is a touchstone of artistic power and fearlessness.

"To engage with that music from that first album—that is very powerful and young and strong and fearless and matriarchal—hopefully gives you the energy and the inspiration you need," she explained.

The album, with its raw intensity and unapologetic exploration of identity and struggle, resonates deeply with CHRISTEENE's own artistic ethos. "Through the sound, through the vision, and through whatever the hell” she’s giving, CHRISTEENE wants to allow her audience to “take that torch and run with it".

When asked what she hopes audiences will take away from the show, CHRISTEENE is clear: "I want them to have a deep remembrance of this woman's work." But more than that, she wants people "to see that an artist's work and message can translate in many different ways," she said. "It's really about the energy and the message that we take in ourselves and how we can make it fit our life."

For CHRISTEENE, O'Connor's work is not static; it is a living, breathing force that can be adapted and incorporated into the struggles and experiences of each individual. "It's still hers, that album is still there, but it's an example of how someone's music and message can change and become malleable into our own struggles and our own lives to walk with."

Ultimately, the artist hopes that audiences can "jump into that portal" with her and "walk away with that newfound understanding of how to work with someone else's work".

Beyond its tribute to Sinéad O'Connor, The Lion The Witch and The Cobra underscores the importance of queer visibility in the arts. CHRISTEENE highlighted the need to be loud and vocal to open spaces to broader demographics. She wants to offer a chance to realise, "Oh, I'm not just in a leather club or a dyke bar or a bear bar." By performing in places like the National Concert Hall in Dublin and the Barbican, the artist attempts a powerful statement about inclusivity and resistance. "It takes all of the segregation of our community away and puts us all in this one place. We must be loud; we must be visible," she insists, adding that we can "infiltrate fancy places" and claim our right to be there.

"Even if we're not allowed, we will make ourselves allowed." It's about more than just the performance; it's about asserting the right to be seen and heard: "We can be anywhere we want and as loud as we want," she concluded.

CHRISTEENE’s The Lion The Witch and The Cobra with special guests Peaches and David Hoyle is presented by the National Concert Hall in collaboration with Mother. Tickets for the show on Sunday, October 27, are on sale now at nch.ie.