WORDS Katherine Murphy
You’re at home. You’ve settled in for the evening. The Parent Trap is the Big Big Movie and you haven’t seen it for years. Then the texts come in. The promise of excitement, of alcohol, of sex, of drugs. Do you keep to your quiet corner? You’ll be suffering in the morning regardless, whether you’re coming down or simply hanging. Or perhaps you’ll be diagnosed with something much worse. Much, much worse.
FOMO (adj): Fear of Missing Out . And this fear is alive and well in a superbly talented cast.
As the audience enters they are handed neon pink wristbands rather than tickets, as a ‘Bouncer’ in high vis shouts “IDs OUT!”. The girls are less harassed than the boys, and some people are kept waiting longer than others. Made Up has already set the scene: four girls, getting ready for a night on the town. Together they explore the pressure points: ex-boyfriends, kissing strangers, and getting high. Aoife Loenard’s carefully constructed script draws upon the ‘Dublinese’ syle of lyrical verse and monologue that has become increasingly popular on the Dublin theatre scene. She quickly navigates her way through a myriad of socially awkward scenarios. The individual speeches are highly lyrical and flow with ease, but they are punctuated by acutely realistic interactions between the girls. Mostly in bathrooms.
And these moments are carried by a wonderful ensemble cast. Joyce O’Reilly, Heather O’Sullivan, Sinead McDonagh, and Aibhilín Ryan work in unison, moving together in the camper dance routines and supporting each other throughout the more trying emotional segments. Sinead McDonagh really carries the heart of the piece, letting the party-girl persona down and showcasing the heartbreak beneath it. In comparison O’Reilly carries the comedic centre as she probes the reality of drugs. She is literally swept from her feet and uses some highly lucid moments to maintain her comic edge.
The sheer physicality of the actresses creates the frantic energy of a night on the town. Emer Heatley utilises the casts’ natural chemistry to create an ensemble who move and speak as one. The flashy dance routines are well executed, but the music behind them always felt a little superimposed compared to the natural way in which the actresses handled the dialogue. Dara Hoban’s lighting was particarly evoactive of the club-scene, with dripping fairy lights balanced by the glare of the main lights when the characters left the ‘club’. The set was tactfully sparse and the use of tables added greatly to their use of space, but the actual furnishings seemed a little unfinished (with classroom tables ). In saying this, an on stage sound engineer added even more of a Twisted Pepper vibe to the place.
Even though some of the design elements lacked in quality, the cast, driector and playwright made up for this tenfold. Rarely does a show encapsulate the ‘buzz’ assocaited with university produce something of such a high standard within the college itself. One thing is for certain. If you missed this then you’ll be suffering from the ever-present, inescapable FOMO.
Run finished.
