Project Arts Centre

If you haven’t yet had the pleasure, Project is the big blue building in Temple Bar. You might have passed on your way to or from Meeting House Square or looked across at it from the Garage Bar. Much as I love the old-school glamour of the Abbey’s red velvet seats or the beautiful contrast between new and old in Smock Alley, Project is still my favourite Dublin theatre. We performed Trilogy there in the Fringe a few years back, so for that reason alone I will probably always have a special place in my heart for it but even without that connection, I would still love it. When I’m bringing people to the theatre, Project is almost always the gateway drug of choice. Tickets are reasonably priced and there is such a wide variety of stuff on, it’s easy to find something they’ll like. It’s a fairly diverse programme and I love that you can walk into the theatre spaces – the Cube downstairs and the bigger Space Upstairs and find them utterly transformed from the last time you were there, even if that last time was only a couple of days ago, which in my case, it often is!

I spend a lot of time there and a fair amount of money too. Luckily there’s the 25% off Early Bird offers and cheap Real Deal nights to help ease the strain on my bank balance because there’s loads on there in the next couple of months which I want to see. The main thing is Man of Valour which I am still kicking myself for missing in the Fringe two years ago, there’s also a ‘re-imagined’ version of Howie the Rookie for one actor, directed by the writer Mark O’Rowe and performed by Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, Sopadeine is my Boyfriend is back for another run in the middle of June and Carmel Winters’ new play Best Man comes here after the Cork Midsummer. They are also playing host to whole heap of shows in the Dublin Dance Festival.

But if you would like a more informal introduction for your first date with Project Arts Centre, you should go along to their Community Day tomorrow. There will be free workshops, guided tours of the building and the current visual-art exhibition, as well as tea and cake. There is a dance workshop at 11.30am with Muirne Bloomer, a workshop in Commedia dell’Arte and mask with Annie Ryan from 12pm and a theatre and performance workshop with THEATREclub at 2pm.

It kicks off this evening with Arena being broadcast live from the Space Upstairs. As far as I know there are still tickets available and the doors open at 6.45pm.

But if you can’t make it to the Community Day, have a look at the rest of their programme of events and make a date to pay them a visit.

Update: The Arena programme all about Project is now up on the RTÉ player and includes contributions from Cian O’Brien, Peter Sheridan and Philip McMahon, as well as some beautiful music from The New Triangle.

Egg Charade by Aoife McAtamney & Nina Vallon
Image credit: (c) Joan Corres Benito

But there’s a wide variety of shows to chose from. Tickets are mostly around the €20 but some of the shorter shows are €12-15. This includes the shows in the Family Season strand, which all look beautiful and includes Spill – A Playground of Dance, which is free!

There’s also the Dance Deal where if you book 3 or 4 different dance deal shows you get 15% off full price tickets. If you book five or more shows, you get 20% off full price tickets.

There are also dance workshops with dancers performing in the festival. Some of them are limited to dancers or dance students but there are some open classes too.

All in all, a great looking festival!

Ronan Leahy (Willy ‘Wicklow’ Hill) in Drum Belly by Richard Dormer. Directed by Sean Holmes. Photography: Anthony Woods

The play on the Abbey stage at the moment is not an Irish classic, it’s not Shakespeare, it’s not even a contemporary play by a well-known writer. It is however, a tremendous piece of theatre. It is a new Irish play but it’s set in the past, in the dark and desperate world of New York gangsters. It’s 1969, there’s about to be a man on the moon and there’s a truce unfolding between the Irish and the Italians.

The play starts with a wonderful monologue from Harvey Marr (Liam Carney) as he talks about his day. This Irish-American crook knows how to spin a yarn and this tale includes booze, women and violence. The story is directed at the silent Walter Sorrow who is only half-listening to Harvey’s ramblings as he goes about his work. This work is bloody and unpleasant, but as Harvey says it’s work and has to be done. This scene sets us up the rest of the play nicely – it neatly encapsulates the world we’ve entered; a world of brutal men who kill casually, often while telling a joke. Harvey isn’t a particularly likeable character, but you still feel for him.

Over the next 90 minutes, we meet gangsters who swagger and strut, a boss man who collects trees from all over Ireland and a silent teenager over from the old country, escaping the troubles in Belfast. Despite the grim and gritty world it is evoking, this is a very stylish production. The set is starkly beautiful and as the action moves rapidly from place to place, the scene changes have no problem keeping up. There’s a wonderful energy to the production which comes from the snappy dialogue and the talented cast. Despite this energy, despite the new world that is opening up to them, these guys are still stuck in the past. There are many references to Ireland and to Irish heritage and culture. They are a backwards looking community and they’re going nowhere fast. Like the versatile set that is used for many different locations, the characters expend a whole lot of energy but aren’t getting anywhere.

The play has a cinematic quality to it that works well most of the time. However this can be jarring when things happen that aren’t as realistic as it would be on screen. This means the violence and blood-shed often feels fake. The more theatrical moments work better because the audience are happy to go with them. It’s also a very male play which might put some people off just as much as the violence. There seems to be no place for women in this world and they are seldom mentioned by our all male cast.

Despite this, Drum Belly is a very enjoyable show. The script is sharp and has some great lines. The cast are very strong and the whole show looks fantastic. If you want to see for yourself, the Abbey are doing a deal at the moment where you can get €10 “Test Drive” tickets, Monday – Wednesday, subject to availability. It will be €10 well spent!

Drum Belly runs until May 11 and tickets (including €10 Test Drive tickets) are available here.

The Best of Scottee

I have a complicated relationship with live art. I was exposed to a lot of it when I was studying Modern Drama, both recordings in class and what we were encouraged to go and see. The things we made often had a live art slant to them as well. I don’t always love it, I often really dislike it but I find it an intriguing genre because now and again, something will come along and blow my mind!

My most frequent complaint about live art is that it’s often more interesting for the artist than the audience. This usually involves durational performances or people cutting themselves or putting themselves in danger. I’m always coming at it from a theatre point-of-view so things that show a disregard for the audience really irritate me!

Live art is interesting because it can be so divisive. I’ve come out of a performance feeling irritated and annoyed that these people took my money and then wasted my time with this drivel, while someone else will rave ecstatically about the exact same piece. They will praise it so highly that I’m not sure how they could have possibly seen the same thing I did, even though they were standing next to me at the time.

It can irritate but it also intrigues me and the wonderful, perfect shows are always worth more because of the irritating pieces you sat though before. (And then I will walk out astonished and delighted by what I’ve seen while the person next to me to ready to ask for their money back.) This is all just a long way of saying that I’m looking forward to the <a href=”http://www.livecollision.com/&#8221; target=”_blank”>Live Collusion Festival</a> later this month. It’s been a while since I’ve sat through some truly odd things so I will attending a few shows and trying to work out how I feel about them. And if you’re going to see anything, let me know. It’s always better to go with a pal so you can argue afterwards about what you saw.

Live Collision Festival
It’s a short, blink and you’ll miss it sort of festival from 18-21 April. There are three double bills of work in Project each evening. On the Thursday there’s Dismantelment and Internal Terrains, on Friday it’s Wideawake and The Best of Scottee and on Saturday it’s The Woman Who Walks On Knives and We Used To Wait. Tickets are all €12 / €10. There are also three site specific pieces happening over the few days(Walking:Holding, Dublin’s Fare City and All Limit’s Are Self-Imposed), a free screening on Saturday afternoon called Discussions Without Time Limits and on Sunday night there is a live art party party, with performances at the Workman’s Club. It’s called dis.re.pute and starts at 8pm.

Get involved
If you’d like to do more than just go and see shows, you can do a workshop with “live artist, show off, fat drag queen and attention seeker” Scottee which sounds really fun. The Scottee Workshop is on Thursday 18th April, 3-5pm and costs €20.

There is also a call for artists to take part in Walking:Holding. There is no fee but it is chance to work with artist Rosana Cade on this piece. You will need to have availability from April 16th – 20th. For more information or to register your interest, please contact Niamh McCann – mccann.niamh(at)gmail.com

Creative festival proposals wanted for Body & Soul Festival
The art and creativity flourishing within Body & Soul grows from strength to strength each year.
We invite you to create in a way that encourages people to look, listen, explore and interact.

It is once more time to pour our dreams and aspirations into exciting projects, to both inspire and be inspired. Be they big or small, simple or complex, cosmic or comical, organic or electronic – we look forward to your proposals with bated breath, as do the people who spend their weekend in awe of your work!

Past proposals have included giant kaleidoscopes, hanging moss pods, architectural light displays, a bandwagon of face painting charlatans, dragon birds, creative willow fencing, a giant elk complete with his own knitted jumper, suspended performers entrancing passersby’s below, video and sound installations, a singing angel in the garden, a 100 metre long serpent made from CD’s suspended in the tree tops, giant lanterns and more.

So, whatever your idea; whether it be hanging, planted or floating art pieces, suspended or stationary performances of conversation or song, string instrument or drums, we would like to hear from you.
Please apply on line using the application process in the Get Involved section of our website.
www.bodyandsoul.ie

IETM stands for Informal European Theatre Meeting. The group has changed it’s name to the more inclusive International Network for Contemporary Performing Arts but the original name gives you a better sense of what the whole thing is all about. Like the fact that it’s all about meeting people. IETM is not a conference. It’s a meeting. The aim of the three-day event is for delegates to meet people in the performing arts, in the hope that they will be like-minded individuals that they can form useful and long-lasting relationships with.

A couple of the events in the Dublin programme illustrate this point – on Saturday morning, Day 3 of the Conference there are two early morning events – Run! and Jump!, where attendees are invited to go for a run through Phoneix Park or a swim at Seapoint. This has nothing to do with theatre or the performing arts, but it is a good way to get to know people and a good first step to cultivating a relationship!

Making links with Europe can only be a good thing for the arts in Ireland. Our little island nation can be a bit too inward looking sometimes, or only influenced by British and American culture – people who literally speak our language. I think it’s a good thing to have outside influences coming in to add something new to the mix.

The theme of the Dublin meeting is “Trust” and all the sessions relate to that theme. Some of the ones that I really like the look of are; Are The Performing Arts Driving Us Mad? which is about the mental health of those working in the arts and the role that the arts can play in improving mental health; The Big Debate: How to trust and be trusted which takes place in different venues over the three days of the meeting; another practical one – Trust Circus To Take You Into The Unknown which involves trust games and circus skills and the opening night Reception with the wonderful Pop Ceili. These are all delegate only sessions which means you have to sign up and pay the registration fee to attend. Registration fees start at €75 but you don’t have to be a member of IETM to register for the meeting. This is the Early Bird offer which ends on March 28th. After that the fees double to €150 so if you are planning to attend, register soon! It can be a difficult, time-consuming process so don’t try and do it in a hurry!

All That Fall by Pan Pan Theatre

And if, like me you can’t afford the registration fee, there’s still the Artistic Programme, which is open to both delegates and non-delegates. There are five performances – Pan Pan’s All That Fall, Brokentalkers Have I No Mouth, a gig curated by Dylan Tigue called Let the music do the talking and two dance pieces – John Scott Dance’s Body Duets and Fast Portraits by Liz Roche Company. There’s also live art happening in the Cube each evening, which is free and open to non-delegates. Tickets for the other pieces are €10 and available from Project. (Delegate tickets are €6 and available in person only, from April 11th.) Most of these performances are happening in Project Arts Centre, which is the Meeting Place and Hub for IETM which means you get a change to get a sense of the IETM atmosphere and maybe do a little mingling and networking without registering for the full meeting.

You can also get involved as a volunteer, if you have the time to spare. Volunteers are asked for at least 3 days commitment (8 hours a day) between 8th and 14th of April. There are more details here and applications close on Friday, March 22.

I think if you can afford to attend, this is a wonderful opportunity to meet other art practitioners from around Europe and hear what their work practices are like. It’s unlikely that a meeting will be held in Dublin again so this is the year to do it! Who knows who you might meet or what connections you could establish. And for those without tickets, I think it’s worth paying a visit to Project during those three days and seeing the whole thing in action. Again, who knows who you might bump into!

Galway Fringe takes place July 12th – 30th, alongside the Galway Arts Festival. This means that for those two weeks, Galway is full of people eager to see theatre. It’s only it’s second year but I knew a lot of people with shows in last year’s inaugural festival who had a great experience and even made some money! They are interested in all artforms and it is an open-access festival which means everyone is welcome to participate and perform. Registration is open until 28th April but I imagine venues may be allocation on a first come, first served basis so it’s good to start the conversations as soon as possible.

On the other side of the country, 10 Days in Dublin will also happening this July 4th – 13th. It’s also open-access and has been running for a few years now. They are looking to expand their programme this year to include more visual art and film but they are interested in all types of art. Registration closes April 5th.

Both festivals offer box-office and all shows will be included in the festival programme. And both will be looking for volunteers if you want to get involved but stay off-stage!!

And if you can’t wait until July, you still have a few hours to apply for the third instalment of TEXT|messages. This is happening in Project Arts Centre, April 25th – 27th. Applications close at 5pm today and there is more information here.

Shakespeare Season at the Abbey

I am really enjoying the Abbey’s Shakespeare Season at the moment. On Wednesday evening, I watched Marty Rea and Derbhle Crotty play various Shakespearean characters under the direction of Abbey Voice Director Andrea Ainsworth. There was a bit of Romeo & Juliet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream; we saw Macbeth and Lady Macbeth plotting to kill the king and Beatrice and Benedict trading insults. It was a very enjoyable hour on the impressive King Lear set that is currently occupying the Abbey stage.

The production that goes along with the set is also a treat. It’s a great cast; Owen Roe is a wonderful Lear in kinglyness and madness, while Beth Cooke demonstrates Cordelia’s strength and tenacity despite her slight frame. I also enjoyed Ciarán McMenamin as the scheming Edward and Aaron Monaghan as his betrayed brother. The production is visually rich and suitably dramatic. It’s a very enjoyable show. There are lots of strong, bossy characters in this one. It’s worth catching before it ends on March 23.

Meanwhile, the Peacock is playing host to writer and performer Tim Crouch and his plays I, Malvolio and I, Peaseblossom. I’ve only seen I, Malovolio so far and enjoyed it immensely. Tim Crouch tell the story of Twelfth Night from the perspective of poor, woe-begotten Malvolio, a minor character in Shakespeare’s play. It’s a show that’s funny and sad and will make you feel guilty and uncomfortable. Go see it – you will not regret. Even if you don’t like Shakespeare or are unfamiliar with Twelfth Night, it doesn’t matter – you will still laugh yourself silly at this show.

I, Peaseblossom is the story of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, as told by one of the fairies. It’s aimed at audience members from 6 years upwards. Both are running until the end of next week and there are evening and afternoon performances.

Treat yourself to some Shakespeare at the Abbey. There really is something for everybody. Book here.

Over the next hour the young woman, Katie (Amy O’Dwyer) walks us though her life, with help and prompts from Mags (Kelly McAuley), who played a vital role in it. We begin with Katie as a babe in arms and works our way forwards to the harrassed woman at the beginning of the play. As the play zips us past various moments, we see Katie at an unsure four year old, an easily embarrassed 13 year old and moody, rebellious 17 year old. The two actresses inhabit each moment beautifully. They transform fluidly into the different characters. O’Dwyer shows us Katie at all the different ages and moods while McAuley plays all the supporting characters – from the worried Mam to the boring lecturer and lots more inbetween. Often she manages to convey Mags attitude towards these people while she is bringing them to life.

The play gives you a brief snapshot of what’s it’s like to dumped by your best friend in primary school, or to finally start university and discover exactly how far the reality is from your expectations. These snapshots are so true and so well-realised that they leave you reeling with the remembrance of your own adolescent.

The play focuses on the close relationship between Katie and Mags but it also says a lot about women’s relationships with food, sex and ambition. None of these relationships are particularly healthy, but neither is Katie and Mags. And it only grows more destructive as the years go on.

Jennifer Rogers enjoyable script is really brought to life by the wonderful performances by the two actors. This tight two-hander asks a lot of it’s performers and they definitely deliver the goods. The set and props are kept minimal so that the focus is on the actors. They bring emotion and great story-telling to the piece, which is both funny and moving.

It’s great to see women’s stories being told on stage, especially when it is done this well.

KATIE/MAG is part of the Collaborations festival and is on in the Boy’s School in Smock Alley tonight (February 28) and Saturday at 9pm. Tickets are €10/12 and available here.

Druid Theatre Company team accept the award for Best Production.
Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill/The Irish Times

Other Tom Murphy related wins were for The House at the Abbey this summer, which won Best Director for Annabelle Comyn and Best Actor for Declan Conlon.

Full list of all the winners can be found on the Irish Times website.

Aonghus Óg McAnally was the host for the evening, which began with his theatrical version of the ‘Just Saying’ video.