One More Time With Feeling

The third annual Galway Theatre Festival got underway today. Unfortunately, the production of David Mamet’s Oleanna that I was working on with TrueWest Theatre Company was cancelled due to an illness issue. Needless to say, I wasn’t too enthused to start writing about the festival, but nonetheless: life moves on, and there’s a lot of theatre on.

The Social Network

Some thoughts on dream team Aaron Sorkin and David Fincher’s The Social Network coming up just as soon as I pass it off as a diversity thing …

Ulster Bank 2010: Highlights?

Well, that’s me finished with the festival this year. While I was happy with what I got to saw, there was SO much I didn’t get to (Enron, John Gabriel Borkman, B is for Baby, Phaedra, L’Effet De Serge, 565+, etc). Anyway, feel free to post below your own thoughts on this year’s festivals. What was your highlight? 

Ontroerend Goed, ‘A Game of You’: About You

Smock Alley Theatre

Oct 13-17 

 

My thoughts on A Game of You, and the Personal Trilogy as a whole, coming up just as soon as I burn you a CD …

News From Nowhere, ‘The Author’: Story Time

Project Arts Centre, Dublin

Oct 12-17

 

My review of The Author coming up just as soon as I accidentally sit beside Tim Crouch (dammit!) …

'Little Gem' in the Townhall Theatre

Guna Nua's award winning play Little Gem is playing in the Townhall Theatre Galway tonight and tomorrow at 8pm. Described as a "life-affirming jewel" by Patrick Brennan in Irish Theatre Magazine, the play's rewards include Fishamble 'Best New Irish Writing' and 'Best Actress' wins at the Dublin Fringe Festival 2008, the Carol Tamber Best of Edinburgh Award 2009, and a Stewart Parker Award for Elain Murphy's script. Tickets are available at Townhall website and on the door.

‘Love/Hate’: What is ‘Gangland’ Anyway?

Changing gears a little, but I was wondering if anyone has checked out the new RTÉ drama Love/Hate? I watched the first two episodes (both available on RTÉ Realplayer, though the first one may disappear soon) because of the list of likeable actors attached and liked them. A few quick thoughts coming up just as soon as I sell cocaine to Aaron Monaghan …

Ontroerend Goed, ‘Internal’: Blind Date

My review of Internal, part two of Ontroerend Goed’s Personal Trilogy, just as soon as I have a shot of Cointreau …

Gate Theatre, ‘Boston Marriage’: Speaking Mamet

Seeing that I’m currently working on a production of David Mamet’s Oleanna for Galway Theatre Festival (PLUG), I went to see Boston Marriage in The Gate. A brief review just as soon as I achieve enlightenment …

Ontroerend Goed, 'The Smile Off Your Face': Blind Man's Bluff

One of the international highlights at this year’s Ulster Bank Dublin Theatre Festival is Ontroerend Goed’s Personal Trilogy in Smock Alley. My review of part one: The Smile Off Your Face coming up just as soon as I eat some marzipan …

Pan Pan, 'The Rehearsal, Playing the Dane': Bins & Arrows

 The Ulster Bank Dublin Theatre Festival has arrived, and now one must choose from what’s on offer. On one hand you may be lured by the colourful spread laid out by international players who don’t visit often, with the exotic appeal of culturally-different, experimental, and physical material. Meanwhile, the enthusiasts of Irish theatre will commit themselves to seeing the who’s who of Irish companies who are also operating on full throttle. 

While I may not be able to afford James Macdonald’s John Gabriel Borkman in the Abbey (which has enough impressive names attached to warrant a national holiday), I did get to see Pan Pan’s The Rehearsal, Playing the Dane. My review of this excellent vivisection of The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark right after I read out all my lines consecutively …

Why Blog?

"Welcome to my blog" - a sentence that easily prompts bullies to throw you into trash cans and break your glasses. Then again, I could be wrong. I have become so outrun by technology that blogging could be the new 'Sonic', and perhaps all the cool kids are doing it.

Aside from this very strange welcome to my blog (I'm glad you're here, really), allow me to explain why I put it together. I'm a mad theatre enthusiast. I practice it, I studied it in college, and somewhere between the prompt book and the gaffer tape, I realised I missed writing about it. I always wanted to give reviewing a shot, and found myself attending the theatre often enough to do so. So here we are.

I'll be updating this blog with reviews quite regularly. Ulster Bank Dublin Theatre Festival is in high swing, so expect some reviews in the next few days. Discussion and participation is greatly encouraged (chance's are I'll offend someone's point of view gravely), so comment away.

Let's get to it ...