Monthly Archives: August 2014

Review – “Heartbreak House”

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The Abbey Theatre
19th August 2014

The Abbey Theatre’s producion of “Heartbreak House” certainly did not leave me with heartbreak; an evening of belly-laughs, a mind buzzing with thoughts and a smile on my face were definitely the orders of the day. This production, dircted by Roisin McBrinn was, with the exception of a few minor faults, a joy to watch.
The performances were excellent overall with the right balance of credibility and absurdity injected into each character. Mark Lambert gave a stand-out performance as Captain Shotover, capturing the eccentricities and wisdom of the Captain with style and skill. Kathy Kiera Clarke and Aislin McGuckin were also very impressive, bringing the roles of Hesione and Ariadne to life with expertise. In this family that is falling into disarray with a world that is following suit around them due to the outbreak of war, each character must be defined and maintained exactly to capture the change in each without losing the tone of the piece. This balance was certainly found by each actor.
The setting in which we found these characters was beautifully created by Alyson Cummings’ dynamic and interesting set design and Paul Keogan’s lighting which made use of reflections and shadow to great effect. The lighting and sound within the final scene provided an excellent contrast with the more subtle, sedate lighting changes during the rest of the play, further highlighting the change that had come about in the world.
My only gripes about this production were minor slip-ups that didn’t take from the production as a whole but did, I found, drag me out of the moment and disconnect me momentarily from the piece. These minor errors, a poorly excecuted fall here, a badly positioned slap there were, I think, more matters of polish than true faults. I hope that as the run continues these are the type of mistakes that will be ironed out as it would be a shame to have small, easily rectified mistakes detract from what is overall a very good production.
“Heartbreak House” was a well executed, thought provoking and at times truly hilarious comedy that I would happily pay for a ticket to see again!

Review – “The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny”

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Rough Magic and Opera Theatre Company
The Olympia Theatre
22 June 2014

The City of Mahagonny, the city of decadence where anything goes except you. Written towards the end of the roaring twenties and premiered in Germany in 1930 in the midst of the Great Depression, this play by Brecht and Weill describes the rise and fall of capitalism and materialism through the imaginary city of Mahagonny and the story of Jimmy Mahony. Founded by a trio on the run from the law, Mahagonny is to be a city of pleasure and a city of debts from which they make their fortune. However, from the off, flaws show through in the plan and the arrival of four lumberjacks from Alaska, including Jimmy Mahony, sees the beginning of the end for this city where food, sex, boxing and drinking are the only way of life.
Somewhat like Mahagonny itself this production by Opera Theatre Company and Rough Magic was overall very enjoyable but sadly had some cracks that showed through, though thankfully not to the same extent as in Mahagonny!
The performances were mostly excellent, particularly by John Molloy as Trinity Moses, who perfectly captured the suave nastiness of his character and whose rich bass filled every corner of The Olympia. Claudia Boyle also delivered a very impressive performance as Jenny, bringing a great power to the character, both vocally and in terms of characterization. I did find however that Julian Hubbard lacked a similar power in his role as Jimmy, with some of his vocals lost to the orchestra, which was a pity as his overall portrayal of the character was promising.
The design by Aedín Cosgrove was generally very good. The re-configuration of the venue, with the orchestra where the left half of the stalls would be and the performers roaming the stalls, circle and the left boxes, was effective from where I was sitting (Row B in the stalls) and, I believe, from the stage seats. However, I doubt it was of much benefit to the audience in the upper circle and boxes. Apart from this, I found the whole production design very impressive, from the simple yet effective lighting to the set; Mahagonny was really brought to life.
The part of the production that, for me, raised the most questions was the final scene. The crucifixion of Jimmy (where in the text he is executed in the electric chair) left me questioning the director’s reasoning. Was it placing Jimmy as a sort of Messiah? If he was, we must question what he was a messiah for. He promoted greed, violence and materialism. Did the director, Lynne Parker, really believe his character deserved the symbolism of the crucifixion or was she simply looking for an easy striking image? Whichever it was, it needed more to explain it.
I think that, like the plans of Begbick, Moses and Fatty, this production seemed promising but fell short in its execution. It was a daring and ambitious project but one that unfortunately did not live up to the ideas of its creators.

Review – “Swing”

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Fishamble Theatre Company
Dunamaise Arts Centre
1st July 2014

There is no better way to swing into summer than with Fishamble’s sparkling new production “Swing”. I guarantee that this short but sweet show will make you want to dust of your dancing shoes and Charleston!
Janet Moran and Steve Blount excellently portray this hilarious and moving story of friendship. Both capture their main characters, Mae and Joe, to perfection while filling in all of the other characters at the class with ease. From the “amazeballs” instructors to the somewhat intimidating Regina and the homesick Noellia, every character is expertly created. As well as capturing each character, Moran and Blount capture the audience as they engage with them from the moment Mae steps in the door. As she nervously walks in asking the audience “Swing?”, we immediately want to get to know her character. The same goes for Joe who wanders in, bike helmet on, back for more dancing. Both characters are very real, engaging, endearing people.
The characterization is complimented by the smart, funny and touching writing. I don’t think I have ever seen a show produce more genuine belly laughs, chuckles and giggles as this. The balance of physical and verbal comedy, combined with the sweet story makes the production a joy to watch.
This is all topped off with the toe-tapping, heart-warming final scene where Moran and Blount show that alongside being excellent actors, they are quite some movers and shakers too! The upbeat music, simple yet effective lighting and the vibrant performances make this a must-see.

Review – “War Horse”

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National Theatre
Bord Gáis Energy Theatre
2nd April 2014

The applause had died down, the cast had left the stage and the house lights had gone up, but I did not want to leave. The world created in War Horse was so compelling, so moving and, ultimately so real that it captured me within it. This adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s timeless novel by Nick Stafford is utterly stunning.
Of all of the aspects of this production, the puppetry by Handspring Puppet Company stood out and turned this from a great production to a groundbreaking one. The vitality of all of the animal puppets from the tiny birds to the horses is breathtaking. The awe felt by the audience is tangible as Joey rears up on his hind legs; however, there is another element to the puppets that brings a whole new dimension to the piece. This is the use of puppets instead of people as the battalion rides into battle. As the puppeteers animate them for their short lives, one is hit with the realisation that in the war they were all puppets. Every soldier in the war, from the Captains Friedrich Muller and Nicholls to the lowest foot soldier, was a puppet, a pawn. This incredible use of the puppets on a metaphorical level as well as a visual level gives the play a depth of reality and power that is hard to match.
Alongside the puppetry, the excellent performances convey all of the minutiae of emotion within every character. Martin Wenner delivered a particularly excellent performance as Hauptmann Friedrich Muller. The way in which the character is written combined with Wenner’s performance powerfully conveys the hugely important message that both sides were essentially the same. The German soldiers were as human as the Allies and suffered as much as they did. Lee Armstrong was very good in the role of Albert, bringing the youth of his character and his experience of the war excellently to the stage. The performance of the excellent musical numbers was also very powerful. The ensemble pieces were wonderfully moving, but it was the warm, resonant, expressive voice of Bob Fox that really stood out.
Finally, the technical design on the show was superb. The projections were beautiful yet maintained the harsh reality of the war. The same can be said for the lighting design. The gentleness of a country village and the horrors of the battlefield were equally well described through the lighting. At some points during the battle scenes, the audience feels the full force of the flashes of light from explosions, serving to draw us further into the story and connect us even more to the characters.
This play is, in short a visually astounding, heart-wrenching, heart-warming tale of one boy and his horse.

Review – “The Risen People”

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The Abbey Theatre
4th January 2014

I, like many others, studied the 1913 Strike and Lockout in school, I know the history of it, the facts, the figure, but never before has it been more alive in my mind than as I watched the Abbey Theatre’s production of “The Risen People” by James Plunkett, directed by Jimmy Fay.
A moving and engaging piece of theatre, “The Risen People” brings the harsh reality of the lockout to life, reminds us of the day to day difficulties of the families involved and draws the audience into the world of Dublin in 1913. Every aspect of the production added to the atmosphere and drew the audience further into the story. The incredible musical numbers, directed by Conor Linehan are, in my opinion, some of the best I have ever seen. Some serve to convey the raw suffering of the people, some show the dissatisfaction that sparked the rising and some, such as “The Internationale” serve to rouse the spirits of the audience and give them a taste of the pride and drive that led the workers to stand up for their rights. The shadowy, cold lighting and sparse set are beautifully designed to give the audience a sense of the poverty and hardship felt by the workers. These, when combined with the excellent acting performances, particularly by the female characters, played by Hilda Fay, Charlotte McCurry and Kate Stanley Brennan, make for a truly breathtaking production. The cherry on top, which really brings the production into the here and now, is the Noble Call in which each night, a well known figure is invited to give their opinions on the production and share the message they gained from it through words, art or music.
I can promise you that from the striking opening sequence through the stirring story, as the houses are emptied and the pawn shop is filled, to the final line, your eyes will be riveted to the stage and you will feel every emotion of every character. You will live the lockout.

Review – “A Feast of Bones”

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Theatre Lovett,
The Ark,
6th October 2013.

What does one do when faced with a long wait for a train home from a weekend of non-stop theatre and workshops with NAYD Young Critics at the Dublin Theatre Festival? Perhaps you would go do a spot of shopping, walk around the city, grab a bite to eat and relax after the weekend or, if you are me, you go see another play!
“A Feast of Bones” is an excellent piece of theatre from Theatre Lovett. A play for both children and adults like no other, it is a dark yet wonderfully funny play that is beautifully written by Frances Kay. Based on the story of Henny Penny by Walter de la Mare, this play tells the tale of the revenge of Henny Penny. Set in 1918, the play ties together the story of Henny Penny and her friends’ misguided journey to tell the King the sky was falling that led them into the jaws of the fox to the first world war, the waste of life and misery experienced by the soldiers.
We enter the world of “Le Monde Boulversé” with a song and travel through the story with many more jaunty, haunting and melodious tunes which bring a life and flair to the stage that draws the audience into the tale instantly. On this high note (pun intended!) the action begins as the ravenously hungry Mr. Renard enters the restaurant “Le Monde Boulversé”. Mr. Renard, brilliantly played by Louis Lovett, provides many belly laughs, giggles and chuckles. He combines slapstick, puns, humorous comments and audience interaction while preparing to eat his dinner.
Playing opposite him is the excellent Lisa Lambe as Henny Penny, a waitress who is as mysterious and refined as Mr. Renard seems transparent and daft. This stark contrast between the characters, coupled with the exquisite musical talents of Messrs. Nico Brown and Martin Brunsden gives an atmosphere of mystery and danger that tells us the, while we are laughing our socks off at the escapades of Mr. Renard, all is not well. The first course arrives with the information that it is best served cold, and so the play takes on a darker twist as Henny Penny serves up a generous helping of revenge to the fox Mr. Renard.
Henny Penny’s delicacy may be cold, but the play certainly is not. From the brilliant and innovative music making by Brown and Brunsden to the excellent acting of Lovett and Lambe and from the well designed, atmospheric lighting plot to the beautiful set, Theatre Lovett’s production of “A Feast of Bones” is a fantastic feast for the imagination that is a pleasure to watch.

Review – “I, Malvolio”

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Peacock Theatre, March 9th 2013

“I, Malvolio”, written and performed by Tim Crouch is an adventurous expedition into the continuing tale of one of Shakespeare’s lesser known characters, Malvolio from “Twelfth Night”. Crouch sets out to give Malvolio an opportunity to explain how he has been wronged and give him a chance at his much longed for revenge because, as Crouch says, Malvolio is “dropped by the play.” It is a brave step to decide to carry on one of Shakespeare’s characters beyond the original text but Crouch pulls it off expertly. This is an engaging, amusing, thought provoking piece and I found myself torn between laughing and crying as I watched it. 
A line that particularly stood out was when Malvolio asks a young boy from the audience up onstage to kick his bottom and, in doing this, find somewhere “between laughter and pain.” This line, for me, captures the feel of the piece perfectly. Malvolio is the comic element of “Twlefth Night” but is a rather sad character himself. Like most clowning, this piece is a side-splittingly funny but the humour has formed from sadness. This is a delicate balance of emotion but one that Crouch finds perfectly in his pattering, galloping rants, off the cuff interaction with the audience and terrific use of non-verbal communication in his face and his movements.
Crouch makes the audience laugh their socks off but also manages to question why we laugh, the nature of empathy and of course, grant Malvolio his much anticipated revenge in this superb production that deserves every ounce of applause it receives.