Theatre / Reviews

Review: The Spanking Goddess, The Wardrobe Theatre – ‘Celtic myths with hairy bodies and badass deities’

By Isobel Higley  Monday Mar 10, 2025

It is clear from the moment Clare Murphy steps onto the stage that she is a highly skilled and charismatic storyteller – seamlessly weaving humour and depth into each tale.

Sitting in the audience at The Wardrobe Theatre, you can feel the whole room is captivated by these forgotten Celtic myths that are in equal parts entertaining and thought-provoking.

She warns: “these are not your regular myths… Expect wicked tales of badass deities, feral fighters, unorthodox sex, hairy bodies, mastery, and goddess-on-goddess battles – not for the faint-hearted and definitely for grown-ups”.

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A post shared by Clare Murphy (@storyclare)

The show was fitting for International Women’s Day weekend, given its themes of female empowerment and resilience, featuring mighty female warriors, motherhood, female friendships and of course… the eponymous Spanking Goddess.

Murphy’s charming and expressive delivery of these cheeky stories resonated strongly with the audience. This combined with the fabulously intimate venue, made the event a communal experience as well as a performance.

I left the show feeling both entertained and inspired by the vibrant artistic talent thriving in Bristol.

The Spanking Goddess & Other Discarded Tales

Visit www.thewardrobetheatre.com for tickets to all upcoming events. Follow Clare Murphy @storyclare.

All photos: Clare Murphy

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