Friday, January 24, 2014

Painted Filly and Sugarglass, 'The Brothers Karamazov': Of Vice And Men

An intimate adaptation by actor/director Nicholas Johnson locates the heartbeat of Dostoevsky's epic novel. 


Samuel Beckett Theatre
Jan 23-25, 27-Feb 1

My review of The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, adapted by Nicholas Johnson, coming up just as soon as I rescue a certain frozen peasant ...

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Druid, 'The Colleen Bawn': Spake It, Don't Spray It

Druid's revival of the Boucicault classic reminds us what is needed to pull out all the stops for the pronounced theatrical form: the Melodrama.

Gaiety Theatre
Jan 21-25

My review of The Colleen Bawn by Dion Boucicault coming up just as soon as I'm as broad in the back as the Gap of Dunloe ....


Friday, January 17, 2014

Bewley's Cafe Theatre, 'Happiness': Studies of Grief in Days of Milk and Honey

Irish writer Mary Lavin (1912-1996), compared to Virginia Woolf and Anton Chekov over her literary life, is adapted for the stage by Deirdre Kinahan.


Bewley's Cafe Theatre
Jan 15-Feb 8


My review of Happiness by Mary Lavin, adapted by Deirdre Kinahan, coming up just as soon as I find an in-between sugar ...

Monday, January 6, 2014

ThereIsBear!, 'Terminus': Devil May Care


Smock Alley Theatre
Jan 6-9

I've written a lot here in the last week so it's left me with a lot of things to catch up on. Unfortunately, this means I can't do a full review of ThereIsBear!'s production of Terminus by Mark O'Rowe. 

ThereIsBear! is a company formed in 2012 by members of NUI Galway's Drama Society. The last play they performed in this venue was the witch drama The Last Burning by Patrick Galvin. It was a good production but it carried the student drama trademark of a cast in their early-20s playing characters who are much older.

This production of Terminus, with a more age-appropriate cast, marks a more mature venture into professional drama.

Director Emmet Byrne's seemingly spare vision of O'Rowe's wicked play about three individuals pulled into Dublin's satanic underworld proves itself intricately detailed in his actor's skilful performances. Of particular note is Jed Murray, who makes the strongest connection with the audience (and who gets to show a more mindful. charming side than the aggressive roles he plays in ANU Productions' work). 

It's amazing how, in lieu of scenic action, O'Rowe's singing, mystical, eye-gouging script can captivate the audience. It's enough to get you excited about his upcoming adaptations of Shakespeare.

But the darkly operatic tales of Terminus are finely measured and conducted here by the ThereIsBear! company. If there's a show to see in town this week, it's this one. 


What did everybody else think?

Saturday, January 4, 2014

Friday, January 3, 2014

More Irish Theatre Highlights of 2013

Wayne Jordan's kinetic production of The Threepenny Opera brought movement that is rarely seen on the Gate stage.


I already made a list of the top 10 Irish theatre productions of 2013 but here are more highlights that deserve mention ...