Wiktor Koper is a Young Critic for 2023 and chose to respond in a visual way to Trojans by Company Philip Connaughton in association with Once Off Productions seen at Cork Midsummer Festival June 2023.
Since joining Young Critics I learned to consider that a response to a performance has way more possibilities then a written statement or even simple words in general. While I adore writing here I tried to challenge myself and put my artistic hand to use!
The image is a digital poster-like graphic. The inspiration behind it derived from my experience watching the dance performance ‘Trojans’ at Cork Midsummer Festival. I can only describe ‘Trojans’ as an epic and profound piece, coincidentally loosely inspired by Virgil’s epic ‘ The Aeneid ‘. It contained amazingly talented performers that twisted and turned just like one’s interpretation of the work during the viewing. It was sure to leave anyone in a deeply contemplative and perhaps even personal mood.
Wiktor Koper is a Young Critic in 2023 and a member of W.A.C.T Youth Theatre in Co. Wexford.
The National Youth Theatre in Like We Were Born To Move by Eimear Hussey. Directed by Niall Cleary. Produced by Youth Theatre Ireland at Abbey Theatre. Photo Credit: Ros Kavanagh.
The National Youth Theatre is an initiative of Youth Theatre Ireland, and this year celebrates its 40th anniversary. It is supported by the Arts Council, Creative Ireland and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, and is comprised of a cast of young people between the ages of 16 to 21 from all across Ireland. It is an incredible opportunity for these young people to work with some of Irelands best creative teams on a production that is then put on for the public.
This year, the Young Critics were lucky enough to be invited to see the National Youth Theatre’s production, a brand new play ‘Like We Were Born To Move’, written by National Youth Theatre alumni Eimear Hussey and directed by Niall Cleary.
‘Like We Were Born To Move’ is a celebration of youth. It is a play about wanting to become an adult and make your own decisions, and the terrifying bump when you realise you now have to. It centres around the lives of 16 young people, and their struggles with identity, family, loss, sexuality, money, career and friendship. Dance is also a prominent theme, as many of the characters are dancers themselves, or aspire to be.
When we did a bit of research before we saw the show, I was quite shocked to find out that there was 16 cast members. I worried that this would be way too many characters to keep up with and it would become confusing and muddled, like starting a tv show on season 4 without having seen the previous 3 seasons. However, I was surprised by how well these 16 characters were introduced to the audience. It was done gradually, throughout the run of the show. Sometimes characters were spoken about onstage for a few scenes before they actually made an appearance, making it easier to connect them all in my head. The links and relationships between the characters and how they all managed to be individual and different was truly incredible and extremely well thought out. Occasionally I found myself wishing we could see more of some characters that had slightly less of a main role, and I think this is down to the excellent storytelling in the writing, with each character having such a cleverly crafted identity. Obviously with 16 cast members, some were going to have more obviously main roles as others, but I think the balance between them all worked very well and I was really hooked on all of their stories.
It was really lovely to see the chemistry between all of the actors. As someone pointed out in our panel after the show, for a production about young adults and their relationships with each other, there was no kissing onstage at all. However, in my opinion, this cast didn’t need it. They were so incredibly in sync with each other, in their movements and emotions, and you could really feel the intimacy between characters without ever having to show it. They said everything in the pauses between lines and it was a really beautiful thing to watch a group of young people who clearly have so much love for each other in real life translate that to the stage.
Another feature of the National Youth Theatre is their Design and Technical Theatre ensemble, comprised of 4 young people from across the country. The ensemble are given the incredible opportunity to learn from the professional designers working on the production as well as having some influence in the final designs.
The set was designed by set designer Choy-Ping Clarke-Ng. The set itself was simple enough, however, it was taken from simple to incredibly engaging thanks to all the small details dotting the stage. The mismatched chairs, the paint peeling off the door, the laundry spilling out of the washing machine all painted an endearing picture of a house lived in by a group of young people. Little things like socks hanging off the chandelier and a lamp balanced on an old Roses box added to the aesthetics of the set and really made it seem homely and personal, but also slightly falling into disrepair due to the nature of its tenants. You could really see the influence the Design and Tech Ensemble might have had on making the set feel more relatable to young people today.
The same can also be said for the costumes. Designed by costume designer Mae Leahy, each costume was unique to the characters and perfectly suited each actor. The costumes all seemed to have a slight vintage feel to them which makes me wonder if this had anything to do with the Design and Tech Ensemble’s input as a group of young people. Vintage clothing is hugely coming back into style, especially among ‘Gen Z’, so this made the clothing even more realistic and brought the characters further to life.
Overall, this was a really enjoyable production, and definitely a fresh new take on themes that have been shown in media over and over again. It was incredibly refreshing as a young person to see a production about young people, performed by young people and written by a young person. References to things like Longitude and Gilmore Girls elevated the humour in this play to especially appeal to younger audiences, growing up in the 21st century. The dance storylines were a really good way to add movement into the play as well as touching common issues for young dancers. Themes like sexuality, mental health and dysfunctional family dynamics were dealt with skilfully and with a light touch, while still providing a poignant, bittersweet insight into the highs and lows of the life of a young adult in 2023.
Emma is a member of Act Out Youth Theatre and a 2023 Young Critic.
Ruth Cunningham is a member of Roscommon Youth Theatre and is a Young Critic for 2023.
[Video Text]
I’m not in the centre of this and it’s really annoying me but we’re just going to leave that. So, hello my name is Ruth Cunningham. I am from Roscommon County Youth Theatre (arguablythe best youth theatre) and I am one of your young critics for 2023! This is my review of FreeFalling.
[music]
I’m a bad boy for breakin’ her heart
And I’m free
Free fallin’
[music ends]
[Video Text]
For context, backin June we went to the Cork Midsummer Festival. We got to see three very different performances. Freefalling was my personal favourite.
So this is a one-woman show that’s directed by Lynne Parker and tells Georgina Millers’ life story. We went to see this in the Everyman theatre in Cork.
So. 14 years ago, Georgina Miller, an actor and writer from Limerick, decided to use up her life savings and go abroad to travel the world. During her travels she swam with sea turtles, swam in crystal clear blue waters, fell in love, danced on beaches and skydived. She was really living the dream. Until things took a turn for the worst. She couldn’t move her body properly and no one knew why. If she didn’t treat her mystery condition soon, she would need a ventilator to keep herself alive.
I’m just going to talk about some of the things I really enjoyed about the performance.
Other than the plot, one thing that was really cool about this performance was the set that they built for it. It was almost like a cocooning tree. I don’t know if you have ever been in the Everyman Theatre before. It’s a very big stage. It was very clever to build this set to frame the action. It was like branches that held her together with little lights on the bottom. Lynne Parker used these to illustrate the story as well. There is one section in the story where Georgina goes to Uluru. There is this myth that if you take these rocks from there (lots of tourists do it) it is meant to give you bad luck. Obviously Georgina being Georgina she took them. How they showed this on stage was that all the rest of the lights dimmed and all you could see where the little red dots on branches. I was sat back thinking “Oh my god this is so cool”.
One thing that I haven’t mentioned yet is the fact that this show had and aerial element. For the entire performance (except for the very start and the very end), Georgina was on a harness controlled by Jose Portillo. He would propel her up and down to illustrate the story. She would demonstrate her diving throughout the air – it was very cool to watch. They even used this as a storytelling mechanism. When she had a lot of mobility she was up in the air doing loads of tricks but when she was really ill and she couldn’t move she was down on the ground. I thought this was so clever.
I just want to commend Georgina’s performance. It is so hard to be on stage alone for a minute. The fact she was on her own on stage commanding that audience for the entire performance – It is just mind-blowing. She had the ability to change the entire mood of the piece depending on what she was talking about. There were people laughing, there were people crying. She made us all feel something and I think that is something to be really proud of.
For me the message of this play is that our freedom is finite and we need to appreciate our lives while we have them. Also to invest in health insurance – that is very important. I would advise that if you re going to see this play, be aware that it does talk about very emotional times. It is very heartbreaking. Personally, I got quite upset at parts of it. Just be aware of that before you are going. Be aware that you can always talk to someone if you are having problems after the play because it is important to get those feelings out.
I would give this play a 4/5 stars.
I hope that you take my opinions on board. Obviously someone could have said that they hated it and I respect that [opinion]. I hope that you take this on board and maybe you’ll agree with me. Thank you for listening.
The play ‘Elles Vivent’ (EV) is a remarkably funny and frank production that examines our modern norms by heightening them to their inevitable ridiculous conclusion.
For some background information EV was originally conceived by Antoine Defoort and then collaborated on by Lorette Moreau. It was performed by the aforementioned Antoine Defoort as well as, Sofia Teillet, Alexandre Le Nours and Arnaud Boulogne, with The Spirit of the Forest as logomorphic adviser and engineering of the Fliflifli Reform by Kevin Matagne. Oh, and if list wasn’t setting off any senses, it’s entirely in French.
The story goes as such; in the future, an indeterminate amount of time (+2 years) away, two friends, Michel and Taylor, meet in a forest to discuss their lives over the past years. Michel has spent two years in a deep mindfulness isolation and so has plenty of questions regarding the current state of the world to ask his good friend.
One of the most pressing themes present within EV is the relationships that we have with our ideas, modalities and societal norms. From the absurdity of our modern customs to the almost autonomous life and strength we give to ideas simply by thinking of them. EV treats ideas and concepts as living things that are hard to kill and will naturally defend themselves. Such as, the concept of fear. EV describes the idea of fear as something you push away behind a fridge or at the back of a cupboard, but, in the effort you take to try and forget this fear, to kill it, this idea, it grows in strength, out of sight but looming, breathing down your neck. In answer to this EV suggest (by means of musical prose no less) that by acknowledging all of our ideas equally, ‘by giving them a seat at the table’, and acknowledging the fact that we ‘Are super scared’, it removes the threat they pose, giving them nothing but a passive influence on our lives.
But let’s hang on that musical prose part for a sec’ because it gives me an excellent segue into one of the best parts of this play, that being; the funny. Hands down EV contains a fantastic sense of comedy throughout, often pairing it with serious thoughts and concepts to create a paradoxical situation in which you both believe completely in what they are proposing while simultaneously laughing your head off at it, or as they more deftly describe it, ‘Holding two opposing truths at once’. Such as ‘The Stick Prayer’, a mindfulness activity proposed in universe that despite lucridity of it, works. And it is this mixture of paradox and comedy that I believe keeps audience members open to conversation and discussion of these ideas.
But it’s not just the story that is cause to this brilliant piece of art. Designed by Marie Szersnovicz, EV’s constant backdrop of a beautiful forest scape gives the story an almost timeless sense despite being set in the future. The projecting screen set in the middle of the stage ensures that your eyes are neither carried too far away from the characters nor the subtitles, as well as providing story relevance by setting the scenes in the memories.
The crowning jewel though, what I believe shows that true care and attention has been put into this play is the feature of the nmemoprojector. The simple prop slash plot device in question allows the wearer to view any memory that they may recall. Not only does this provide a quick way to jump between multiple points in the past two years, but what I love is the clarity of the memory has an effect on the viewing. Backgrounds may be blurred or simply just a colour gradient, furniture is reduced to simply geometric shapes, at one point a character’s recollection fades to just the emotion that they felt at this time, so nothing is projected, but the accompanying music swells and fills the theatre, letting the feels wash over you in one of the only languages where fluency is unrequired.
When all is said Elles Vivent is a brilliant think piece that dissects our norms and tackles interesting issues within the self while also managing to be an absolutely hilarious in an ingenious performance.
Dearbhla McCormick is a member of Monaghan Youth Theatre and is a Young Critic for 2022.
Dearbhla McCormick is a Young Critic for 2022 and is from Monaghan Youth Theatre. They chose to creatively respond to the performance they saw of A Safe Passage by Irene Kelleher, performed at the Cork Midsummer Festival 2022.
Derived from the Frank O’Connor short story published in 1931 and first adapted to the stage by Neil McKenzie in 1958, Guests of the Nation made its way to the stage once again for the Cork Midsummer Festival in June. Brought to life through the talents of director Pat Kiernan and writer Kevin Barry, this new adaptation both instilled its own distinct flavour to the casting and direction whilst still retaining the spirit and bite of O’Connor’s original work. Set during the Irish War for Independence, Guests of the Nation chronicles the story of 4 soldiers; two Irish, two British, as they struggle with the trials and tribulations of the war whilst inevitably hurtling towards the death of the latter by execution.
Right from the word go I was engaged by the stark humanity portrayed in the imprisoned British soldiers as they grappled with their impending fates. Whereas the majority of works depicting the War for Independence would entirely portray the British in a negative light, Barry’s script offers a more morally grey portrayal of the Brit’s, bringing into question the morale of the IRA ironically. This is not to imply that the former approach is inherently a negative, see Ken Loach’s The Wind that Shakes the Barley for what can be achieved with such an approach, but to put emphasis not on the frankly psychotic slaughter of civilians often enacted by the Black & Tans but instead the humanity of those caught up in the torture and bloodshed that ultimately had no direct ties to such barbaric actions was an impressive and bold choice.
Of course a distinct element of this adaptation I have otherwise overlooked thus far would be the all-female cast with Gina Moxley, Liz Fitzgibbon, Amy Conroy and Chloe O’Reilly portraying the IRA and British soldiers respectively. Any potential scepticism was swiftly dashed out as the play began proper, as all four women did a phenomenal job engrossing me into the narrative. I can’t say for certain whether this was a direct decision by the creative team, but it made me think during and after the show about how certain gender archetypes influence how people may make casting decisions. This isn’t to say that masculine men or feminine women for instance aren’t still present in the modern world of course, but the assumption that everyone of both genders only fall into certain demographics is simply misguided, something this show fortunately goes against the grain on.
Another key aspect of this iteration of the story is that it is not squarely resigned to the stage for its entirety, rather the audience is taking across the city of Cork much as the characters go across the Irish countryside. Not only does this result in an incredibly distinct vibe to the proceedings than I have ever seen in any stage production thus far, but it also allows the audience some time, albeit brief, to muse on the characters actions and the trajectory of the narrative. It’s not as if most stage shows don’t have a standard intermission of course, but those are usually during the middle point. By making the audience go from place to place at three separate intervals gives more instances to ponder on the story at hand and what is trying to be conveyed.
Overall I’d say that this new iteration of Guests of the Nation has more than surpassed my expectations. Through adapting O’Connor’s new work whilst integrating their own distinct elements, Kiernan and Barry have simultaneously revamped the show in some ways for a modern audience whilst still retaining the spirit of the original short story, of which still retains a strong potency a little over ninety years after its first publication.
Ethan Mallon is a member of Act Out Youth Theatre in Co. Meath and is a Young Critic for 2022.
This mind map has been created by Yasna Tofail, member of Limerick City Youth Theatre, in response to the visual installations experienced as part of Cork Midsummer Festival 2022.
On the surface, “A Safe Passage” is an uncomplicated, transparent tale of a humble lighthouse keeper, a troubled young adult, and how the two come to form a deep, unlikely relationship that will ultimately change both of their lives, forever.
“A Safe Passage”, written by Irene Kelleher and directed by Geoff Gould, follows two protagonists. Christy, played by Seamus O’Rourke, is a reserved and unremarkable man, who lives out his days guiding those at sea. Alongside Christy, we also follow a peculiar and unpredictable young woman known as Marilyn, played by the formerly mentioned Irene Kelleher. Throughout the sixty-minute run time, we watch as the two gradually begin to develop a bond as the pair come to know more about each other and their past.
The production is set in 1979, New Year’s Eve, and immediately I must commend the set designer, Hannah Lane for her clever inclusion of props and other objects, such as the long-outdated radio and lantern. The use of these props allows the audience to comfortably immerse themselves fully into the show.
As well as the set production, audio design plays a vital role. Sounds effects such as the crackling of the radio, can be used to convey a sense of isolation and loneliness. Another example includes the exaggerated rattling of the spilled pills hitting against the floor, which creates an uneasy atmosphere among the audience.
“A Safe Passage” explores many themes throughout its duration, these being, ‘the devastating effects of isolation’, the ‘importance of human connection’, and ‘overwhelming guilt’. In my opinion, I feel that not only does the production convey these themes effectively but does so in a delicate manner as they are real world issues that affect countless people.
At its core, “A Safe Passage” is a gut-wrenching, somber story of two individuals embracing their sorrow together. With passionate acting, black comedy and a gripping plot, every audience member is bound to leave the theatre astonished and wholeheartedly satisfied.
Andrew Keegan is a member of Fracture Youth Theatre in Thurles Co. Tipperary and is a Young Critic for 2022.
Youth Theatre Ireland are delighted to announce this year’s Young Critics from 14 different youth theatres across the country!
The Young Critics is one of Youth Theatre Ireland’s longest running programmes and sees 16 youth theatre members come together to learn about theatre criticism and response. The programme this year is led by Alan King, Rebecca Feely, and esteemed academic and theatre critic Dr. Karen Fricker.
This year the crew have already been to the Cork Midsummer Festival where they saw A Safe Passage by Irene Kelleher, Guests of the Nation by CorcaDorca, and they also had the opportunity to see some visual art installations across the city.
The Young Critics will come together again from October 7th-9th for Dublin Theatre Festival, and the weekend will culminate with a panel discussion at The Project Arts Centre on October 9th at 1pm. Tickets are free and you can find out more on Dublin Theatre Festival’s website.
You can find out more about the Young Critics programme and other programmes for youth theatre members here.
In our latest review, Youth Theatre Ireland’s own National Youth Theatre production comes under the watchful eye of the Young Critics gaze.
Aftertaste by Ciara Elizabeth Smyth is a thought-provoking, original piece that takes a well-timed look at a dystopian near future without any sugar-coating.
Aftertaste is the culmination of 22 young people aged 16-20 from Youth Theatres across the country working together to celebrate the National Youth Theatre, an event organized by Youth Theatre Ireland and supported by the Abbey Theatre. This production is especially made for YouTube and was intended to be watched as a pre-record rather than as a live stream or in a theatre. It is directed by National Youth Theatre Director Veronica Coburn.
The play is set in an Ireland where the National Alliance Party have rose to power led by President Sanbrooke Martin (Samuel Ferrie) on the one-year anniversary of the passing of the Health and Wellness Act, banning foods with a high sugar or fat content. As a result of this, many are left starving and Junk Advocates have arisen, people eating illegal foods on their social media accounts and condemning the government. Several of these Advocates have been going missing, including 21-year-old Lila Birch (Daisy Hartigan) who has been missing for 6 days. Lila’s sister, Eadie Birch (Ella O’Callaghan) is getting no answers from the authorities. Meanwhile, there is internal strife within the National Alliance Party; Vice-President Jana Kaminski (Julia Szarota) is vying for President Martin’s position and journalist Oisín Ó Hanluain (Odhran Exton) is seeking to undermine the President’s policies.
These various political operatives, movie stars and the staff of The Royal Marine Restaurant eventually collide in a moment of frenzy at an ill- fated anniversary dinner honouring President Martin.
The excellent ensemble is completed by Caoimhe O’Farrell, Abbi Breen, Sadhbh McDonough, Tristan Spellman Molphy, Matthew Eglinton, Abhainn Harrington, Max Mufwasoni, Cara Mooney, Adam Henry, Aileen Broidy and Seán Loughrey.
The actors had to overcome the obstacle of a pre-recorded performance and convey a realistic portrayal of an authoritarian regime. They were able to do this whilst maintaining a certain amount of levity. We were given a detailed overview of this darker life from multiple societal perspectives, political leaders and glamorous celebrities to the everyday people who are affected by their actions. Overall, the actors more than deliver on their attempts to engage, entertain and make us think.
Sets were not heavily integral to this production and most often simple plain colour backgrounds were used with some exceptions. Basic props such as chairs, tables or podiums were used to set the scene. The politicians’ costumes are bright pinky-purple pastel colours while in comparison the outfits of the ordinary people are drab, dreary shades of brown. We also see the uniforms of The Royal Marine, crisp, professional attire. The work of lighting designer Suzzi Cummins is bright and powerful, stimulating the viewer and evoking emotional reactions. Sound designer Sinead Diskin and visual designer Cherie White work in tandem to provide an intense, rhythmic audio coupled with striking visuals which works together to pump up the audience and bring across the broader feelings of the piece. I think these various components combine to form a strong, successful use of design.
In closing, Aftertaste is a unique play that peers into the darker sides of wellbeing and healthy eating. This is a show that cannot be missed.
Aftertaste was broadcast on the Abbey Theatre’s YouTube Channel from Aug 8th- 15th 2021. Produced by Youth Theatre Ireland.
Youth Theatre Ireland Young Critics 