The Man, The Character, The Craft aims to celebrate the life’s work of Ciáran O’Keeffe, a live performance artist. His craft is very unique as he takes inspiration from drag, cabaret, performance art, stand-up comedy and theatre and uses them all individually to create his act. His shows are outrageous and engaging at the same time and his background in theatre studies and fine art have shaped his craft to contain more depth and context than is obvious from the onset.

The concept of this book was to create an experience that paralleled that of watching The Smilin’ Kanker on stage. It needed to be engaging and fun but also evident of how much work and craftsmanship goes into creating something that seems so chaotic. Viewing the book is like the experience of going to the theatre and watching a performance unfold

With careful choreography, the book is turned into a performance. Watching the book from above, the pages turning and spinning almost infer the movements of a dance. The book needs three people to perform it, this creates a more engaging and cooperative environment. You must work together as a team to create the piece much like how any show would be. The book is accompanied by a script which can be used to navigate through the performance.