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SETTING THE SCENE YOUTH PREACH L- R Back row: Mai
ú Levi Lawlor, Joshua Kelly, Ethan McCarron, Cathal Ronan, Dean Cahill, Millie Starr Bourke, Rue Patterson, Emma Davis L- R Front Row: Patrick Earley Mulcahy, Lily Moore, Emma Fanning, Ruth Cunningham, Wiktor Koper One of Youth Theatre Ireland’s most popular and innovative programmes, Young Critics, which celebrates 20 years in existence, brings together young people from youth theatres across the country on a journey of critical discovery: learning about how and why theatre is made, seeing incredible shows and voicing their opinions. As part of the Theatre Festival they saw three shows: Somewhere Out There You (Nancy Harris & Wayne Jordan, Abbey Theatre), Distillation (Luke Casserly, Goethe-Intitut) and Out of the Blue (Silke Huysmans & Hannes Dereere, Project Arts Centre). The Critics gathered together in the Project on Sunday October 8 to discuss their experiences in the company of Dr Karen Fricker. We have included excerpts from some of their insights into the shows along with two written reviews and some observations drawn from audience questions afterwards. The Young Critics participants were: Ruth Cunningham, Roscommon Youth Theatre Rue Patterson, Co. Limerick Youth Theatre Joshua Kelly, Fracture Youth Theatre, Co. Tipperary Ethan Mc Carron, Monaghan Youth Theatre Maiu Levi Lawlor, Making Waves Youth Theatre, Co. Wicklow Patrick Earley Mulcahy, Activate Youth Theatre, Co. Cork Emma Fanning, Act Out Youth Theatre, Co. Meath Lily Moore, Mr. Sands Youth Theatre, Co. Wicklow Emma Davis, The Mill Youth Theatre, Co. Dublin Millie Starr Bourke, Cabinteely Youth Theatre, Co. Dublin Wiktor Koper, W.A.C.T. Youth Theatre, Co. Wexford Cathal Ronan, Carlow Youth Theatre Aoibheann Ni Fhaolain, Mountrath Youth Theatre, Co. Laois Dean Cahill, Pod Youth Theatre, Co. Cavan Distillation Joshua (introducing the show): “The show is about Luke who grew up in rural Longford and lived on a bog and never really felt any connection to it but came back years later and had a real grá for it. It was something which was a great part of the community and a living, breathing thing which he gave a voice to.” Rue (on its sensory aspects): “The most important thing I felt was the sensory experience. We had olfactory senses where we sat around a big table of peat and turf, he passed around coffee for the opening of the show which refreshed our sense of smell and we had a nice memento of perfume at the end to remind us of the bog. He also used tactile senses, we were able to touch the dirt and turf on the table, we passed around moss and smelled it. He had video visuals projected on to his chest and his clothing was made of Irish linen and his brooch had a bog flower which was cool. The whole time we were listening to Luke speak we could hear birds and wings in the background. It was a really incredibly Irish experience.” Emma Davis (on its sense of community): Distillation was a communal experience. He asked an audience member to reenact a conversation he had with his father (who worked with Bord Na Mona) so you got to hear another person. His father asked him to look after the land so he was passing on the responsibility to look after the bog. As he was pouring tea he’d mentioned how it was a real focal point for the community. It was about trust and communication within this intimate space.” Somewhere Out There You Millie (introducing the show): “The play is a romantic comedy that I assume from the accents is set in South County Dublin. In the opening scene the main character Casey is introduction her new boyfriend Brett from America to her family. Brett is pretty much the perfect boyfriend, the man of every girls’ dreams. He can make a quiche. He gardens. He’s really fit and he writes poetry. He’s almost too good to be true and that’s what Casey’s family thinks. The play goes into the family investigating and what they find.” Emma Fanning (on themes): “I was really excited when I found out we were going to a rom-com because I love them and they are a source of comfort for me and other people. In the programme notes, Nancy Harris wrote a quote from A Streetcar Named Desire and said, “I don’t want realism. I want magic.” I think that perfectly encompasses a rom-com, but when we got to the Abbey and the programme the first think thing that struck me is that it looked a lot like a Colleen Hoover book which kind of made me a bit curious because while they are romance books, they are not rom-coms as she often writes about toxic relationships… it really focused on themes of unconditional love which I thought was really interesting because in traditional rom coms it’s assumed it is love at first sight. There was a huge element of writing your own story which is interesting because in today’s world of AI and VR you could have a relationship without ever meeting someone. You could make up your own relationship. There were also themes of identity and mental health. While it had a happy ending, it definitely wasn’t the one everyone was expecting.” Patrick (on the role of music): “Before the performance even starts there were two jazz covers which set the tone for the rest of the play. Songs were also performed live which gave you the sense of being at a Broadway musical and it was incredible to see the live element even when you are up in the heavens.” Cathal (on design): “The saturated colours – bright pinks, 50