WORDS Katherine Murphy
The Boys of Foley Street
Experiential theatre is always the hardest to review. You are placed in a scenario, often so vivid, that all sense of criticism is rendered futile. You’re so fully engaged in having the experience that affixing a ‘good/bad’ label upon it seems to devalue and demystify what has just happened to you, and you alone. The Boys of Foley Street is one such production. It is ANU Production’s third installment in the four-part Monto Cycle, physically and literally exploring one of the seedier areas of Dublin’s North side. It is based upon a series of interviews conducted by Pat Kenny in the 1980s, exploring the paths taken by young men in an immersive journey that quite literally takes you to places you’ve never been before, and some you’ll hope to never revisit. The gritty realism is frightening at times, but is balanced by some audaciously theatrical moments that allow you to take yourself outside the situation and appreciate the scope of what ANU have managed to accomplish in the streets the stories are built around.
The Picture of Dorian Gray
The Abbey Theatre production is also wonderfully elaborate in a very different way. Neil Bartlett’s interpretation is visually stunning and his refusal to ignore the narration means that the entire ensemble becomes the storytellers with cleverly spaced microphones. The staging can be a little haphazard but the ensemble is wonderfully choreographed; strongest in recitation and weakest when feebler choral voices are placed in the foreground. Tom Canton as Dorian showcases potential and is mercilessly vindictive, but this emotional scope does not lend itself to the more dramatic moments. Jasper Britton as Lord Henry easily creates the bulk of the comic relief in this macabre production, and (although this was mainly due to the script) his ability to induce laughter was matched only by his sombre ramblings in the final scene. The finale is a well-executed piece of theatrical deception that left me pleasantly surprised without being emotionally engaged. Overall the production’s aesthetic values far outweighed any lasting impact, but some stellar performances, a wonderful ensemble and beguilingly tacky trickery ensure a night of perfectly pleasant theatre.
Everyone is King Lear In His Own Home
However, ‘pleasant’ is not a word you can ascribe to Pan Pan’s Everyone is King Lear In His Own Home. It’s profound and unsettling, striking and disjointed, but never pleasant because Gavin Quinn’s production takes place in Andrew Bennett’s (Lear’s) flat that is, quite literally, onstage. Andrew Bennett’s performance is vocally and visually stunning, capturing the essence of a king in his domain with all the anxiety of a senile old man in adult nappies. Judith Rooney acts as a hauntingly beautiful contrast to his manic excesses of energy as the flawlessly choreographed opening sequence demonstrates. Even a rodent had a starring role as a little black mouse scurried around the lofty stage, eliciting laughter and gentle gasps as it teetered near the edge. Aedín Cosgrove’s awe-inspiring set towers over the stage on wooden scaffolding, affording the audience a more panoramic view. It is disappointing that the brilliance of the set is only fully realised face on as two thirds of the audience find themselves peering around walls to uncover the action. Despite this, Pan Pan’s production reminds us what two superbly engaging actors can do with an exquisite set under one of Ireland’s best directors.
LOOK OUT FOR:
Have I No Mouth, Brokentalkers at the Project Arts Centre
Politik, The Company, Samuel Beckett Theatre
Hamlet, The Wooster Group, Belvedere College
