Gulliver’s Travels – A Review BY Niall McDaid

Posted on by Youth Theatre Ireland Young Critics

Photo by Ros Kavanagh

Photo by Ros Kavanagh

The  National Youth Theatre production of 

Gulliver’s Travels

by Johnathan Swift, adapted for the stage by Conall Morrison

I went to see the NYT’s production of Gulliver’s Travels on Monday 26th August. As it was the first preview I was expecting one or two small mistakes but I didn’t notice any. It was clearly very well rehearsed and well put together. I really liked the way it looked exactly like a professional production but kept the feel of a youth theatre play about it. The story was shown very clearly and the use of a live camera feed to help show the size difference between Gulliver and the Lilliputians worked very well. Never having been to the Peacock before, I was expecting a larger stage and auditorium but I really think the smaller stage worked well as the show felt much more personal. All sixteen cast members were absolutely brilliant! The animated facial expressions were a real highlight for me. Overall it was an excellent show, well written script, brilliant performance from the cast, great style and just a spectacular show and I’d highly recommend it. 

Niall McDaid is a member of Letterkenny Youth Theatre and a recent participant on the NAYD Young Critics International Encounter

Gulliver has finished it’s run at the Peacock Theatre and has now travelled down to the Everyman, Cork. Three shows only.

Cork

Venue: The Everyman
Dates: 5 -7 September at 8pm.
Tickets: €18. Concession €15  Family price €60 (2 adults, 2 children)
Youth Theatre members €12 (not available online)
Bookings: Phone The Everyman on 021-4501673

http://www.nayd.ie/news/press/gullivers-travels-tickets-now-on-sale

The Ties That Bind- Shibari Review

Posted on by Youth Theatre Ireland Young Critics

Janet Moran and Orion Lee in the Abbey Theatre production of Gary Duggan’s SHIBARI, directed by Tom Creed on the Peacock stage as part of the Dublin Theatre Festival. 4 Oct – 3 Nov 2012. Pic by Fiona Morgan.

SHIBARI by Gary Duggan
Directed by: Tom Creed
Reviewed by: Luke Casserly, 08 October, 2012

Shibari is a contemporary piece of modern theatre which hones in on the ties, connections and interlinked relationships which exist between people in modern-day Dublin. Through a series of vignettes we see into the lives of six ordinary people living in the city.
A distinct and bold Japanese flavour wavers through this play at all times and many aspects of the lighting, setting and costume design are inclusive of this Japanese sense.

The clean and elegant knot transitions were admirably smooth, as was the quirky set, designed by Frank Conway. The gradual colour changes in costume from knot-to-knot were wickedly effective and acting was faultless throughout. I commend Janet Moran and Kate Nic Chonaonigh in particular on their excellent character development, which shone brilliantly on the night I attended.

I enjoyed this play a great amount. It doesn’t follow the conventional and linear structure of a play, instead, it unfolds in a series of knots, rather than scenes. The play’s clever structural arrangement along with its direct and sometimes witty dialogue was highly entertaining and indeed thought-provoking; Shibari is a play which is intensely real and relative to a modern Irish audience. Having said this, the play did not personally offer me any long-term effect. It did not cause me to think for any longer than a few hours post show.
Tom Creed has directed a wonderfully modern, symbolic and different piece in the form of Shibari, which is presented on the Peacock Stage. A play full of realism and quirk, it is highly entertaining to say the least. As I had seen it in its preview stage, I look forward to seeing the further development which the production undergoes. It is highly recommended by this critic that you go and experience Shibari for yourself.

Luke Casserly is a member of NAYD’s Young Critics 2012

Dublin Theatre Festival. Young Critics 2012 – Sarah Mc Goohan

Posted on by Youth Theatre Ireland Young Critics

6 days. It is how long I have spent so far with my fellow Young Critics. 6 days. It is how long until myself and 15 other buzzing young theatre lovers are spoiled with an action packed weekend of good quality theatre, analytical discussion and guaranteed enjoyment. From the 5th to the 7th of October the Young Critics Programme, led by Alan King (NAYD’s youth theatre officer) and Dr. Karen Fricker, will hold their third and final residential weekend of 2012 as a part of the Dublin Theatre Festival.
I eagerly await next weekend with anticipation as from researching the line up of plays that we will be seeing and critiquing, I think it is going to be one of the best weekends so far which I can’t believe I’m saying after experiencing the wonderful Cork Midsummer Festival in June and prior to that, our weekend in Dublin in early April. Over the course of the three days we will be seeing three shows: Shibari by Gary Duggan presented by The Abbey Theatre, DruidMurphy- Plays by Tom Murphy : A Whistle in the Dark and The Wooster Group – Hamlet by William Shakespeare.
From tapping our feet to the music of Liam Ó Maonlaí and dancing on stage with the performers of ‘Rian’ in Cork Opera House, subtly taking over a shopping mall as part of Parallel Cities site specific Saturday afternoon show, Dylan Tighe’s emotionally provocative ‘Record’ and yet another late night visit to Parallel Cities: ‘House’, sitting down to relish in some straight drama like ‘Hamlet’ or ‘A Whistle in the Dark’ will contrast just beautifully.
Something that we, as 16 young critics, will be experiencing this weekend is publically discussing our feelings and opinions on what we have seen, heard, liked, loved or disliked at our public panel discussion on Sunday, October 7th at Project Arts Centre, Temple Bar. Both Dr. Karen Fricker and Alan King have (hopefully) sufficiently prepared us for this event by asking us questions and thus stimulating our thoughts and leading our analysis in the right direction. We now know what questions to ask and why to ask them. “Why did the director make the decision to do this or that?” “Did it work?” “If so, why?” – and so on and so forth.
The Young Critics Programme has also helped us with our own personal artistic issues. I find it much easier now to see from an audience’s perspective and how to access different obstacles we are faced whilst acting, directing or designing. It has made me more appreciative of theatre and my love for the stage and performance has done nothing but blossom since I have fallen in with NAYD.

The Mai – Review by Aoife Lanigan

Posted on by Youth Theatre Ireland Young Critics

Venue: Town Hall Theatre

Directed by Roisin Stack

Produced by Mephisto Theatre Company

The Mai is a tragic story about the complexity of love and relationships. Written by Marina Carr, The Mai is about the lives of four generations of women and the destructive force of love that irreparably affects them. It challenges the audience to question oppressive traditions such as compulsory motherhood.

 The play is revealed through the memories of 30-year-old Millie remembering the events of 1979 when she was sixteen. Her father Robert left for five years, leaving The Mai, her mother, to raise their four children. The extended family includes The Mai’s meddling sisters, aunts and sharp-tongued opium smoking grandmother.

Rich resonant tones of a cello opens the play gradually and complements the plot as it progresses. The stage is set as a family living room with prominent windows over looking a garden and lake. The lighting changes to blue for Millie’s reflections are very effective.

All of the actors give convincing performances. The energy and rhythm onstage captivates the audience immediately. The small details like the grandmothers bent leg when she sits and Millie’s quiet reactions in the background really shows the attention given to these characters. The stage is used well and the pacing is smooth and unforced.

Carr’s script has a haunting quality and witty charm that portrays the lives of these flawed women in a unique style. The dialogue is colourful and humour counteracts the tragedy throughout the play. Margaret O’Sullivan is superb as Grandma Fraochlan who pines for her husband, the nine-fingered fisherman. Frieda McGrath as Julie evokes sympathy from the audience despite Julie’s conservative views on marriage. There are few flaws in this script, although Roberts character could be developed and explained more.

Overall this play is to be admired for its exploration into human behaviour. The nature of family is examined and we are left with a bittersweet feeling. The Mai shows us the importance of change and choice, and the effect it can have on us.

The Mai ran from the 16 Aug to 25 Aug

 

Tuesdays With Morrie – Reviewed by Madi O’Carroll

Posted on by Youth Theatre Ireland Young Critics

Tuesdays With Morrie

The Viking Theatre, Clontarf

Directed by Breda Cashe

Reviewed By Madi O’Carroll

It’s not often that a person might find a quaint, homemade theatre up the narrow stairs of an old Irish pub in Clontarf. As though stepping through the Narnian wardrobe, this is the experience to be had when going to see the production of Tuesdays With Morrie in the Viking Theatre, the transformed upstairs of Connolly’s pub in Clontarf, Dublin.

Adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher, this play follows the autobiographical story of author Mitch Albom and his relationship with his dying college professor, Morrie Schwartz. Every Tuesday they meet, and every Tuesday Mitch is challenged by Morrie’s admirable vigour for life – even on the throes of death. The tiny room barely seats fifty audience members on whatever pub stool, kitchen chair or even old cinema seat you can find. I had the experience of sitting in the front row, a daring choice with the stage nearly on top of me. It paid off, adding nicely to the already intimate mood of the play.

The performances from the two men, Andrew Murray as Albom and Terry Byrne as Morrie, are truly impressive and they share a great dynamic together onstage. Both actors brought tears of laughter and of sorrow to my eyes with their naturalistic approach to their characters. They developed subtly yet consistently as the play progressed. With a simple, neat set, fabulous music and precise lighting it is clear that the raw truth of Albom’s story is the main event, something that needs nothing more than an attentive audience and fantastic performers-neither of which were lacking!

To conclude, this play causes the audience member to go on a necessary trip into the self, and to question what really makes life fulfilling. In the loving but often complicated relationship between a man and an eternal teacher we see the relationships that we have, that we sometimes lose and what priceless knowledge we acquire from them.

Runs from 8th – 25th August.

Reviewed August 15th.

Special Events – Dublin Theatre Festival, Ireland 2012

Posted on by Youth Theatre Ireland Young Critics

Special Events – Dublin Theatre Festival, Ireland 2012.

 

 

YOUNG CRITICS’ PANEL

Young Critics is a programme of the National Association for Youth Drama (NAYD). Every year, 16 youth theatre members from across Ireland come together to watch, workshop, discuss and critique high quality national and international theatre, bringing their unique perspective to the Festival. This event is open to people of all ages.

For further information see www.nayd.ie

Venue Project Arts Centre
Date 7 Oct
Time 1.15PM

 

Leaving an Imprint

Posted on by Youth Theatre Ireland Young Critics

Rian

Fabulous Beast / Liam Ó Maonlaí / Michael Keegan-Dolan

Cork Opera House

Reviewed 22 June 2012 by Sarah Brett, Niamh McCormack, Sarah McGooghan, Megan Moroney, and Aaron Mullaney

Rian as gaeilge translates as ‘imprint’. Inspired by Sean O’Riada (one of the most influential icons in the mid-20th century revival of Irish traditional music), Liam Ó Maonlaí ‘s music inspires powerful and emotional movement from both the cast of contemporary dancers, and, at the show’s end, the audience. The experience is unique and awakens the primal imprint of rhythm and joy within us. Along with O’Maonlai, Michael Keegan-Dolan, artistic director of Fabulous Beast Dance Theatre, has created a beautiful, passionate and moving ensemble of music and dance.

The technical abilities of both the dancers and musicians are evident throughout the performance. The organic beat of the dancers’ bare feet on the floor reinforced that of the bodhrán, combining to create an electric atmosphere. Although at times the dancers are not directly in sync with each other, the contemporary movement offers a context for this. Rian is a traditional Irish music lover’s paradise but the tribal beats and foreign and modern influences mean it is not exclusively so.

The stage layout was very striking as eerie shadows cast upon the light green backdrop helped create a feel of nature throughout the show – like how fire casts shadows upon the earth around it. Also the traditional semi-circular layout of the musicians and dancers worked well, as the audience felt as though they were taking part in a real Irish session.

There were certain aspects of the performance, however, that felt somewhat obvious and perhaps stereotypical. The nature of the stage layout made it difficult to see the whole performance at times; and there were some musical faux pas in terms of harmony. The ending of the performance was somewhat misleading as after the cast took their bow the show continued on, which was fortunate as the audience was then asked to come up on stage and dance with the cast. As minor as these flaws were, they were trifling compared to the overall performance of this outstanding show.

Rian gives a beautiful impression of the Irish culture and spirit. The performance offers an open and inclusive look into the Irish community. The dancers’ vivacious performance created an excitement in the audience and throughout the performance you had to suppress the urge to jump on stage and join the dancers. At the end, we finally were given this chance! Overall, this performance left an imprint on its audience and we highly recommend you to go and see it.

Image

A Matter of Record

Posted on by Youth Theatre Ireland Young Critics

Record

Dylan Tighe
Half Moon Theatre
Reviewed 23 June 2012

by Sadhbh Keating,Amaka Attoh,Kim Molloy,Eimear Deery

Record by Dylan Tighe is an extremely difficult performance to critique as it is an autobiographical, emotional play about Tighe’s struggle with bipolar disorder. Also, we must note that we saw only the second preview and the production may change, and grow.

The setting is, for the most part, drab. The pre-set is very intimate; it feels like Tighe’s personal space. Guitars, a drum set, a large writing desk and a leather chair all dressed in dark colours reflect the melancholic mood of the show.

Tighe uses music from his debut album Record, his own medical records, and multimedia to portray the concept of mental illness. Tighe takes on the role of himself which provides authenticity and real raw human emotion. This also highlights the isolating and internalised nature of this disease. Keeping with the intimate nature of the performance, the supporting cast of musicians and actors is very small. Aofie Duffin takes on the role of Tighe’s nurse and love interest but, unfortunately, her performance lacks credibility. A more positive point of Duffin’s performance is her singing voice. Her hauntingly beautiful voice captures the turmoil of emotions her acting didn’t. Daniel Reardon takes on the role of the austere doctor and gives a satisfactory performance.  Despite the small cast of supporting actors and their inability to effectively portray the story, powerful messages still come through, one being that medication may not always be effective to treat mental illness.

Elements such as Tighe’s own music also reinforced these messages and provided clarity to some of the more obscure images. Custom-made films about Tighe’s life and his ideas show his confusion and loneliness when in a depressed state, which gives the show a sense of reality. Tighe must be commended for this fearless production as he puts everything on the table.

Although the production deals with dark matters, humour and live music give it an uplift. We recommend it, although during parts of the show fantasy and reality collide, leading to confusion and ambiguity. This mirrors Tighe’s state of mind at the particular point in his life, and leaves the audience with much to contemplate.