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WORDS Michael McDermott PHOTO Killian Broderick r
eds, yellows and oranges - bring you into the world of the play with a strong visual identity. The massive streamers are distracting and relate to the theme of the play in terms of getting caught up in things…in terms of transitions between scenes, usually in a conventional play it goes dark and everything is moved. Here you see the people move things which is a purposeful intent and a strong decision.” Out of the Blue Wiktor (introducing the show): “This was journalistic theatre which had a very factual approach. It followed the story of three ships on a remote patch of ocean. You had the DEME-GSR which was a Belgian drilling company which was scraping the ocean floor to get these valuable rocks which had these precious metals. You had marine biologists studying the effects of this and Greenpeace activists protesting about the emergence of such an environmentally questionable industry… the show had massive screens where all the information and text was presented to us, the interviews with scientists and drilling company. The performers who were also the creators of the show were sitting with their backs to us and on laptops as if they were doing this research and collecting this information in real time. It made this climate crisis awareness more engaging.” Dean: (on the issues presented around deep sea mining): “Generally when people have conversations around When I think of The Next Four Years I struggle to see beyond our current stasis. Our post-pandemic hope of doing things differently has faded. The future does not look so bright. 2030 does not look so far away. The climate is breaking down. The house is on fire. The theatre is on fire. But here we are. Getting on with getting on. Heads in the sand. Mr Sands, our code for fire. A call to action to the staff to get the people out. Yet still we work to get the people in. We tell the same stories of the past. Where is the lesson for the future? I see a change coming. [in the optimistic moments] I see a world willing to change. I see the theatre of the future. FROM THE AUDIENCE Watching this show is an experience I will never forBased on a true story, This Solution is a new THREE TO SEE This Solution • Willie White, director of the Dublin Theatre Festival, asked whether they felt it is legitimate to tell stories such as Out of the Blue or Distillation in a theatre because they are not conventional dramas to which Dean responded: “It goes to back to the question of what is theatre? Peter Brook said, ‘All you need to create theatre is a person on stage a person watching it.’ The purpose of theatre is to tell a story… it is up to us to make our assumptions as to what theatre is. It was a story and it made us feel something.” • Questions around cost and accessibility lead to reference to the German Kulturpass which gives 18-year-olds €200 to spend on culture. The Theatre Festival pointed out about their 10 for €10 initiative of certain presentations which is available for under 30s, unwaged, freelance artists and arts workers. The cost of travel is prohibitive and a desire for more local theatre to be more adventurous in its programming was expressed. • In terms of journalism and attention spans, the idea of TikTok reviews were broached and also the downside of knowing too much about a show through advance hype or publicity hampering the experience. climate change or talk to young people it goes like, ‘Eco systems are dying, these big multinational capitalist companies are ruining it all and we need to fix this problem.’ But this show takes a more neutral stand point. And for me there were three key things: the opinion of the eco system that’s being mined and what will be destroyed; companies – why are we mining the sea bed for precious metals for the likes of car batteries so in order to be more environmentally friendly by using electric cars we need to get these rocks from somewhere and why not the sea bed; and thirdly, which is a view I usually take, why bother? What struck me when they were talking to one scientist who said I don’t know if we can fix it, why try? I think it really resonates when the people who are meant to give you hope are resigned. You have to decipher what you think from all these viewpoints.” Ethan (on the use of technology): “There were big computer screens with something happening on every one. They had these incredibly organised files and knew exactly where everything was and always playing like music, recorded interviews, videos, pictures and surround sound. It felt like you were watching a documentary live.” What do you love? How will climate breakdown affect what you love? Here is what I love. All together. In one room. Sinking underwater. Lily: “It’s not what you might expect but it was presented in a very popular way which wasn’t overwhelming, more like storytelling with visuals and music… it was a chilled vibe.” • Experiencing alternative spaces and more polarising shows which the critics saw such as Trojans in Cork Midsummer Festival in the Marina Market threw up the excitement of seeing work in non-conventional places, broadening one’s mind and learning how to sit with points of view that are not one’s own. dublinyouththeatre.com @DubYouthTheatre Somewhere Out There You reviewed by Ruth Cunningham “Is being “delulu” the “solulu”? This is the question posed in the ‘dazzling world premiere’ of Nancy Harris’ rom-com Somewhere Out There You. The key element of this performance was no doubt the high quality acting. We were aware that the cast had formed a strong connection. Their satirical performances remained authentic and believable. They were framed by a flamboyant yet simple set. There was a mix of inviting long couches, interpretations of famous landmarks and long rainbow streamers acting as wings. It mirrors the unbelievable-believable aspects of this show. Harris subverts the roles we’re supposed to play in Ireland at Prague Quadrennial 2023 The Next Four Years. It is time to start. To start to fix how we do what we do. To make work better. To make better work. To speak about the future so it might not be so uncertain when we get there. When we get there. – Sinéad Wallace works as a lighting designer for theatre, opera and dance. sineadwallacelighting.com life, mocking the fairy-tale “meet-cutes” we all grew up dreaming about. She plays on our belief that our family, peers and the world’s expectations are superior to our own and cannot be changed. Harris makes a powerful connection between the The Next Four Years us presented by the Irish Society of Performance Designers in association with Once Off Productions. acting sphere and modern-day relationships. Any actors reading this are aware that most of their lives are spent going through seemingly endless rounds of rejection. You wait for ‘somewhere, out there… you’d the “one” show (or person) that suits you down to the ground. You might work on that project for a week, month, or year. The lucky ones secure a permanent contract. However, you will always have the looming fear that the end is nigh. The Next Four Years screening and conversation takes place in the Carolan Room of the National Concert Hall on Friday October 6 at 3.30pm. It is a free but ticketed event as part of the Dublin Theatre Festival. Further events will happen around Ireland in the autumn. The film will be screened inn the foyer of the Project Arts Centre from Saturday September 30 to Saturday October 7 from 11am to 8.30pm daily. dublintheatrefestival.ie/event/the-next-four-yearsscreening-and-conversation/ get. There is an important message here for everyone - be your own individual. To quote Nancy Harris, ‘We are all the writers of our love stories’ - conventional or unconventional. This is certainly one to watch out for.” Runs at the Abbey Theatre until November 4 Distillation reviewed by Maiú Levi Lawlor Fe ti k IFTA nomin viroap een a “A thes vaa rical work that begs for v tic r leas agf the d Ho ce on a documentary-theatre hybrid from Shaun Dunne that fuses reve a ory testimony with new writing, dance, and original music. Inspired by a young I h man’s experience of the gay porn industry, this genre-bending new work looks at consent and contracts, regret and r be irth, uniting a compelling team of co tn emporary artists. This project marks Dunn ’es return to the Dublin Theatre l following the cinemaoicee l t ris , m ne oing to tac le ambiguo s auatend chalw tleneino t ll a Seuest which wats En adnm tr lo, E remProject Aromely a ,e Wednesday October 11- Sake Ca l October 14, 7.30pm, Sa evokes each sense pm, €20-€31.50 t d f m his 2018 fconomic aest vand Si ol shoci l s Ru ects whilst aining hts Centr nd relaxed in its tone. Luturdaysg g q cretions abou a wbjapids. ser y invites the audien turda n interactive journey t a October 15, 6.30. The piece allo.ws you to immerse yourself in the routes and soul of rural Ir le and. Passing pieces of decayed plant m tta er, to smell and feel, from audience member to audience member allowing us to heighten our tactile and olfactory awareness. At first, we are g er eted by Luke Casserly himself. We are invited to enter a room, centered lies a round table holding a Bog in its torrid and neglectful state. The table is surrounded by chairs on which the audience stays seated for the piece. An unconventional piece of theatre in its staging (a room that accepts in its minimalism as the shell for this piece, with its house and stage lights remaining on for most of the performance) making it an offbeat, vulnerable viewing. Due to lighting, the audience was visible to each other. You find yourself shifting your gaze from Luke Casserly to observe other people’s expressions, each face painting its own dramaturgy and story. The piece is insightful in its portrayal of how we, as Do the Calimero One of the joys of the theatre festival is catching international spectacles. In Do the Calimero, Lies Pauwels shows carnival as the ultimate metaphor for the human condition. An outlet, a folk festival, a rite of passage, a no man’s land where anything goes. A place to escape the fast-changing world. Where you can be small and flawed in the glow of greatness. Samuel Beckett, Friday September 29 to Saturday September 30, 7.30pm, €30 a society and as individuals, shape our environment. Luke Casserly holds our attention and poise with each line he draws over, encapsulating and even convincing us that the Bog itself has a voice and what it might sound like, occasionally allowing himself to personify as the Bog delivering dialogue in a dry and nuanced style, finding realism in radical comedic motifs. A bottle of perfume lies in the Bog in front of us. Blast International Critics Forum When you watch a performance, what is it that you are looking for? Join the makers of Blast, a platform for conversations about theatre, where their panel of theatre critics will take a fresh perspective on this year’s Dublin Theatre Festival programme. This in-person forum considers performance from several angles and welcomes audience reflection and feedback. The New Theatre, Monday October 9, 6pm (free but ticketed) We are encouraged to open it and spray it on our skin. Luke Casserly worked with perfume artist Joan Woods to curate a unique scent inspired by the Bog. He asked us where the scent took us. We were encouraged to let our imagination take us to the place that we felt we connected to in the scent of the Bog. When applied to each person’s skin the perfume gave rise to a variation of individual fragrances. A wonderful piece in its interactivity, making for an engaging and individual experience. Its duration of 50 minutes, with no interval makes for a well-paced piece, avoiding lingering on any point for too long. A clear message, worth hearing/experiencing.” just go nimble and weird. Get a bit weird as well.” y matinee, 2.30pm, Sundayh t The Abbey Theatre is proud to support the ‘Setting the Scene’ section of Totally Dublin. This initiative aims to support discourse around theatre practitioners, venues and productions in Irish society. The Abbey Theatre is proud to support the ‘Setting the Scene’ section of Totally Dublin. This initiative aims to support discourse around theatre practitioners, venues and productions in Irish society. 51 55