Saturday, September 17, 2016

Collapsing Horse, 'The Aeneid': Rome Won't Tear Us Apart

Deviating from a narrative as old as Virgil's epic isn't easy, as tested by Collapsing Horse's jaunty adaptation. Photo: Ste Murray

Smock Alley Theatre, Tiger Dublin Fringe
Sept 15-24


A quick review of The Aeneid coming up just as soon as I sacrifice some animals …

Friday, September 16, 2016

Kate Gilmore, 'The Wickedness of Oz': There's No Place Like Home

With Generation Emigration packing their bags, a young woman picks her battles at home. Photo: Clíona Ní Laoi.

Bewley's Cafe Theatre @ Powerscourt, Tiger Dublin Fringe
Sept 13-23

A quick review of The Wickedness of Oz by Kate Gilmore coming up just as soon as my mother reminds me to lay off the Malibu …

Margaret McAuliffe, ‘The Humours of Bandon’: Bonaparte’s Retreat

Margaret McAuliffe takes us behind the scenes of an Irish dancing championship in an excellent drama about adolescence.

Bewley's Cafe Theatre @ Powerscourt, Tiger Dublin Fringe
Sept 14-24

A quick review of The Humours of Bandon by Margaret McAuliffe coming up just as soon as I trust what you say about my costume …


Thursday, September 15, 2016

Dick Walsh Theatre and Pan Pan, 'George Bush and Children': The Talkshow Must Go On

Opinions collide in Dick Walsh's new play about talkshows. It's easy to laugh from a distance. Photo: Jaesin Yu. 

Project Arts Centre, Tiger Dublin Fringe
Sep 12-17


A quick review of George Bush and Children by Dick Walsh coming up just as soon as I remember having a good time being energy ...

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Shannon Yee, 'Reassembled, Slightly Askew': On the Brain

 Stunning audio art recreates an artist's intimate story of survival. 


The Complex, Tiger Dublin Fringe Festival
Sep 13-24

A quick review of Reassembled, Slightly Askew by Shannon Yee coming up just as I go to town for toothpaste ...

Monday, September 12, 2016

Oona Doherty and Liz Roche Company, 'Hope Hunt' / 'Wrongheaded': In Search of Respect

Gender politics are unabashedly brought to the forefront in this dance double bill.  


Project Arts Centre, Tiger Dublin Fringe Festival
Sep 12-16

A quick review of the dance double bill Hope Hunt by Oonagh Doherty and Wrongheaded by Liz Roche coming up just as soon as I support Chelsea …


Umbrella Theatre Project, 'Glowworm': Bugged by Mediocrity


Can a shy schoolgirl discover her genius in this multidisciplinary send-up of Victorian society? Photo: Christopher Lindhorst

Project Arts Centre, Tiger Dublin Fringe Festival
Sep 11-16

A quick review of Glowworm by Tom Nieboer coming up just as soon as I go down to the elderflower thicket ...

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Irish Theatre to See in 2016

Rehearsal image for The Casement Project by Fearghus Ó Conchúir, pegged to be a main event in the 1916 commemorations. Photo: Ste Murray.

  
Some dates for your calendar in 2016 …


Tuesday, December 29, 2015

More Irish Theatre Highlights of 2015

Still a lot of fun to be had at the cutting edge, as evidenced by Dead Centre's Chekhov's First Play. Photo: Jose Miguel Jiminez


Yesterday I posted my top 10 of 2015. Here are other highlights from the year:

Irish Theatre Top 10 of 2015

ANU Productions's Pals was a singular attempt to commemorate Irish involvement in World War I. Photo: Patrick Redmond.


Thinking back on 2015, I’m reminded of the mobilisation of artists around the Marriage Equality Referendum and the #WakingTheFeminists outcry over the Abbey Theatre’s male-mad 2016 season. I’m reminded of gutsy programming by Galway International Arts Festival to host Exhibit B, a controversial installation that internationally spurred the modern equivalent of a theatre riot, and by Tiger Dublin Fringe to take a chance on Kim Noble, a guerrilla-performance artist on a risky search for companionship.

In trying to narrow down my theatre-going (I wrote about 120 performances this year) to a list of ten, I’ve kept to the parameters of new productions by Irish/Northern Irish companies, or co-productions where the creative half is Irish. This leaves out Andrew Scott’s seamless performance in the Paines Plough production of Sea Wall, co-produced by Dublin Theatre Festival, though it was probably my favourite performance this year. I’ve also left out the Gate Theatre’s production of The Gigli Concert because Denis Conway had performed the part before, and I figured I could make room for something else, though that doesn’t excuse the omission of Sinéad McKenna, who gave the best lighting design this year.

Whenever I’ve written an end-of-year list, I’ve tried to keep to the idea of ‘best’ as moments in the theatre when I felt a significant shift in my thinking, when I’ve registered a change in my biology: the welling of emotion, the howl of laughter or a menacing discomfort.

(Finally, thank you to readers who followed me this year from Musings In Intermissions to A Younger Theatre and Broadway World, and most recently Exeunt Magazine and The Stage. Keep an eye out for me in the two latter publications in 2016).