Smarty Marty, the Talkin' Mule!

Scripts-Aloud

"Smarty Marty, the Talkin' Mule!," is a short, humorous story about a farmer, Tommy, who is trying to find a new companion for his horse, MacGuire, after the death of his old horse, MacDougal. The story is set in rural Ireland and follows Tommy as he visits a market in Corofin.

In the first scene, Tommy is at his barn, talking to MacGuire about the loss of MacDougal and how he plans to find a new horse for him. He reminisces about MacDougal's playful nature, including a time the two horses were "throwin' peat at each other, sideways-like".

At the market, Tommy runs into his friend, Jimmy, who he hasn't seen in nearly a year. The two friends catch up, and Tommy explains that he is at the market to find a new companion for MacGuire. Jimmy points to a mule for sale named Marty, and warns Tommy to "steer clear of this fella" because he is a "bad mule". Jimmy reveals he tried to teach Marty to talk using a book from the internet, and to his surprise, the mule learned. The problem is, Marty won't stop talking about his obsession with early-2000s celebrities like Scarlett Johansson and Kate Blanchett, and he keeps asking for hot dogs.

Despite Jimmy's warnings, Tommy decides to buy the talking mule. He plans to use Marty's bizarre conversational skills to create content for a YouTube channel. The play ends as Tommy leads Marty away, with the mule continuing his strange comments about celebrities.

Themes

• Grief and companionship: The story starts with the theme of grief and loneliness after the death of a beloved animal. Both Tommy and his horse MacGuire are still mourning the loss of MacDougal.
• The absurdity of modern life: A central theme is the hilarious and unexpected clash between traditional rural life and modern technology and pop culture. The idea of a talking mule obsessed with early-2000s film stars and wanting a YouTube channel is the main driver of the comedy.
• Finding a purpose: Tommy's journey evolves from simply finding a new horse to an entrepreneurial idea to monetize his new talking mule. He sees Marty not just as a companion for MacGuire, but as a way to "make a few of them memes... on the YouTube".