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Trinity graduate Dylan Coburn Gray returned to the Dublin Fringe Festival this year as the “scriptor” and co-creator of B(r)itches; a self-confessed “silly” show which claims to pose questions about the meaning of theatre and the lengths performers go to for a director. Developing from the Collaborations Festival in February this year, the show offered Fringe audiences a chance to experience more experimental theatre, however unfortunately tended to fall flat in its execution.
“The Brunette One”, Leah Minto, and “The Blonde One”, Claire Galvin, acted as our guides on a so-called “tour of the theatre and its history”, drawing upon a simple flip chart for instructions throughout the show. The two actors have an excellent dynamic onstage, winning over the audience from the very start with a soggy shoe and exploding water bottle; vital for a performance which relied entirely on their interaction. It was their chemistry that carried the production, with occasionally tender moments and generally entertaining jokes. Those familiar with performing themselves probably appreciated the production the most, as they poked fun at scenarios like acting in constipation adverts, Shakespearean plot lines, and a particularly hilarious (and accurate) portrayal of dealing with auditions.
The format was simple, with each new page offering a challenge to which the actors responded, attempting to create a sense of an improvisational exercise. However this impression was limited, with the responses feeling scripted and verging on predictable. The very first exercise, “Guys Talk About the Ladies”, relied on stereotypical portrayals of men and rather lazy jokes for its humour. It felt irrelevant and cheap from the ensemble considering the standard and intelligence of writing Gray has previously demonstrated. Other sequences, too, such as where the actors had to “Do Brecht”, fell short and ended up being more confusing than amusing, kept moving by the performers’ energy rather than the response itself.
Despite this, there were some truly hilarious responses to the mysterious instructor’s commands. It was when Gray’s wit really shone though that the production showed promise, as when the actors reworked a previous response with Shakespearean language and plot tropes. The writing tended to be extremely clever, a hallmark of his work seen in Boys and Girls, leaving the viewer longing for more. Similarly, the high energy and cohesion of Minto and Galvin ensured that the pace of proceedings never truly faltered. Bouncing off each other, the comedy felt natural, even when jokes didn’t land and the show petered to an end.
B(r)itches appeared to embody part of what the Fringe Festival is about; innovative theatre which demands audience engagement, pushing for questions about performance itself. However, the notion of asking questions about theatre felt a little forced; suggested more by the programme notes than the production itself. While the show was amusing and acted as a refreshing change to straight theatre productions, it failed to really comment on what it claimed to, and left the viewer questioning what its point ultimately was.
Colossally silly and irreverent, yes, but not particularly thought-provoking.
