Two of the Young Critics, Emily McGee from Kilkenny Youth Theatre and Clodagh Healy from Free Radicals Youth Theatre in Tralee, Co. Kerry, both reviewed Chapter House Theatre Company’s touring production of Sense and Sensibility. The show toured Ireland in June 2016.
For the last three summers the NAYD Young Critics have been given the task of selecting a professional theatre production to see over the summer months.
The aim is to encourage them to see more theatre independently of the NAYD programme and create a culture of theatre going not only amongst the Young Critics, but also their wider youth theatre community.
Ideally it should be on in their local arts centre or venue and they are encouraged and supported to make a group booking for their own youth theatre to attend also.
NAYD, along with the participating local arts centres support this initiative through discounts, youth theatre group rates and the NAYD Go See YT Fund.
They were encouraged to utilise their own programming eye and select work that they would then be able to create a critical response to. These critical responses take the form of short video blog reviews or podcasts, where they discuss the shows.
Since the start of May, the Young Critics have been seeing work and then writing, shooting and editing their own individual critical response vlogs. Some of these take the form of straight up critical responses, while others utilise comedy, drama and other techniques to respond to the work.
In the last two years there were a large number of One Man/ One Woman shows touring the country.This year there were more medium scale touring productions on offer, perhaps suggesting that there is a broader range of work on offer. Or perhaps companies are being better funded then in previous years.
Decadent Theatre Company led the way with their production of The Weir by Conor McPherson, which was seen by three Young Critics in venues in Cork, Kilkenny and Limerick.
Chapterhouse Theatre Company from the UK toured their production of Sense and Sensibility to stately homes in Kilkenney and Kerry was reviewed by two of our Young Critics.
Following his Olivier Award winning success, Pat Kinevane’s Underneath continues it’s extensive tour with Fishamble. It was viewed and reviewed by two of our Young Critics at the Townhall Cavan and Droichead Arts Centre.
Another show at Droichead Arts Centre was Brokentalkers highly acclaimed The Blue Boy. You can view Young Critic Jack Synott’s critical analysis here
Touring to Sligo was The Everyman, Cork’s production of God Bless The Child, which caught the attention of our Young Critic from Sligo Youth Theatre.
For our two Dublin based Young Critics, Philip McMahon’s Town is Dead proved a popular choice at the Peacock Theatre.
Also in Dublin, was the Gate’s production of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf by Edward Albee, which was reviewed by one of our Young Critics
Regionally, local productions included Lovely Leitrim at the Ramor Theatre Virginia, Romeo and Juliet at An Tain Dundalk, The State of The Nation at The Balor Arts Centre, Co. Donegal, and The Dark Kingdom at the Granary Theatre as part of the Cork Midsummer Festival.
Through the month of August we will be sharing a selection of their critical responses across the Young Critics Blog.
In September we will be sharing some written reviews of work in the run up to the Young Critics Panel as part of the Dublin Theatre Festival.
It has been a really productive few months for the NAYD Young Critics and we look forward to sharing our responses to the work with you all.
A big thanks to all the venues and companies who continue to support the initiative through discounts and group rates.
‘An amazing, life changing experience…Words cannot describe how amazing of a programme young critics is.’ Young Critic 2015
Returning for a thirteenth year, The Young Critics is one of NAYD’s most popular programmes.
It is open to NAYD affiliated youth theatre members who are interested in watching theatre, discovering how and why theatre is made, and learning how to critically discuss, analyse, and review theatre.
Over a six-month period they will see some incredible shows, make new friends and learn about the art of theatre criticism.
In a very exciting and innovative programme young people are given an opportunity to see quality productions, while developing their critical skills under the mentorship of international theatre critic and academic, Dr. Karen Fricker and Alan King, NAYD Youth Theatre Officer.
In order to offer individual advice and guidance on developing each young person’s critical skills, places on the programme are limited to 16. Those who are interested should apply through their youth theatre before Friday March 4th.
The Young Critics will meet in Dublin from Friday April 22nd to Sunday April 24th for the first time and again in October. Over the two weekends the Young Critics will attend at least four theatre productions, and participate in workshops and discussions with the mentors.
In October, the group will meet up in Dublin again to see further productions, take part in more workshops and participate in a public panel discussion.
In between the two residential weekends, the Young Critics will be encouraged and supported to go and see other local productions, write some reviews and contribute to the Young Critics blog through vlogs and written reviews.
Participation in the programme is free: accommodation, food, theatre tickets and travel costs are covered by NAYD.
It is open to youth theatre members who will be aged 16 – 20 by April 1st 2016. We are looking for young people who are comfortable meeting new people, working in a highly focused way and are not afraid to share their thoughts and opinions with each other.
To be a Young Critic you must be fully available for both weekends. You must also be available to take part in online discussions and organise a theatre trip in your own area in between the two residential weekends. You be supported by NAYD, your own youth theatre and your local venues to do this.
NAYD will have welfare leaders in place on both weekends to ensure the wellbeing and safety of all participants.
Download and print off full information on Young Critics 2016
If you are interested in the programme, please download and fill out the Application Form and return by post only to:
Young Critics Programme, NAYD, 7, North Great George’s Street, Dublin 1 by Friday March 4th at 5pm
Watch some former Young Critics Talk about the Young Critics Programme.
Read about one young person’s experience on Young Critics 2014.
If you need further information please contact NAYD:
Office phone: 01 878 1301
Mobile (during the events): 086 829 5851
NAYD Young Critics 2014
As the Young Critics programme draws to a close for 2014, Emma Gallagher from Greise Youth Theatre reflects on her experiences as a Young Critic.
‘The buzz is electric’ Dublin Theatre Festival director Willie White told the Irish Independent, and I could say the same for our experience in The Young Critics Programme. It is frightening to think it was around Easter time that I set out for my very first Young Critics weekend.
Oscar Wilde, Anton Chekhov and Owen McCafferty were names I knew a little about. That was until we started the workshops. Working with Alan King and Karen Fricker was like working with two theatre knowledge generators and I mean that in the best way possible.
I was so surprised to how in depth we actually we went into critiquing a play. In only two weekends our knowledge of theatre and all its aspects had expanded immensely. It was a real eye opener, exploring each element that can make a production special. From lighting to sound, music, and set to costume design, performers, writers and directors, the collaborative work put into productions is truly unique.
I became aware of the different types of theatre, from classic and contemporary to immersive, all of which we got the pleasure to experience. These were fantastical productions that had my mind blooming with new ideas.
An Ideal Husband at The Gate Theatre was a real treat. I was astonished by the intricate detail and energy that had been put into this one show. It was a wondrous romantic comedy enriched in Wilde’s dark and delightful witticisms.
Being involved in The Young Critics Programme really opened my eyes to the different professions within the world of the creative arts. From listening to director Gavin Quinn speak about Pan Pan’s colourful and playground like production, The Seagull and Other Birds to the ever so sweet Marty Rae speak as openly and answer our questions about his experiences working as an actor.
Over the summer we were allocated the activity to bring each of our Youth Theatre’s to a new production in our own local venues.
Swing written by Steve Blount, Peter Daly, Gavin Kostick and Janet Moran, also directed by Peter Daly and starring Steve Blount and Janet Moran was a popular choice between The Young Critics participants. It received very positive feedback from a lot of the young people.
The Arts Centres kindly offered our Youth Theatre discounted tickets and NAYD organised a post-show chat with the cast of the production.
It was really interesting to hear how the show came into development and hear the actors speak about their character work in preparation for their roles.
Next was the video blog review of the play we chose to see. For the technophobes- I include myself in this category, this was a tricky challenge in which a few awkward techie problems occurred.
However, once I did manage to record a decent vlog, I actually felt I had really achieved something and it wasn’t half bad either. Having said that I won’t be the next Quentin Tarintino by any means but it was a very beneficial task and I think it will be of use in the future.
Spending two weekends with the young people from other Youth Theatres was splendid to say the very least. It was interesting to hear how different Youth Theatres’ work. We shared a lot of laughter and a couple of the members even shared a few tears during Ganesh Versus The Third Reich. It was a very touching production for a lot of people, so much so it received a standing ovation.
NAYD Young Critic Emma Gallagher Photo credit: Allen Kiely
On the 5th of October The Young Critic’s Panel was held in The Project Arts Centre in Dublin. We had butterflies as people working in the shows, theatre folk and even Willie White attended. At first it was scary speaking about our honest opinions as a critic of the productions but also liberating too. I find public speaking a struggle, but this experience of sharing your thoughts openly about something you genuinely love and interests you was a real stepping-stone for me.
The buzz is electric – in the presence of people who are passionate about their work, their energy radiates. As Anton Chekhov said ‘knowledge is of no value unless you put it into practice’.
Young Critics inspires to create action in the world of the arts.
The Young Critics say goodbye for another year
Photo credit: Allen Kiely
Over the last few weeks in the run up to NAYD’s Young Critics Panel, we’ve published a series of reviews from the Young Critics. With the Young Critics arriving today we publish our final review.
Over the summer months,we asked the Young Critics to attend some shows on their own. We asked them to make a short vlog review of their experience. We then asked a selection of them to turn these into written reviews. Dr. Karen Fricker offered some editorial advice.
Here Bríd Nolan reviews [Title of Show] by Jeff Bowen and Hunter Bell.
[Title of Show] by Jeff Bowen and Hunter Bell, directed by Angeline Milne
Performed by Andy Carberry, Adam Tyrell, Ciara Ivie, Sarah Jane Williams, and Mark Cox
Viewed on 13t August 2014 at the New Theatre, Dublin. Reviewed by Bríd Nolan
Going to see [Title of Show] is like watching a rehearsal for a play you’ve failed to get a part in. The cast members greet the audience laconically as they stroll on stage, and the fourth wall swiftly becomes an object of derision, one the cast members occasionally snipe at throughout the play.
[Title of Show] revolves around the lives and work of four struggling actors and a keyboardist. Two of the characters, Hunter and Jeff (based on the writer Hunter Bell and composer Jeff Bowen) decide to write a musical about their attempts to write a musical for the 2004 New York Musical Theatre Festival.
The effect is of a blurred, devised timeline of skits spliced by messages left on the voicemail at Hunter and Jeff’s apartment. The musical spans the time between the moment the characters decide the play must be written and shortly after the show’s premiere. The storyline relies heavily on self-parody to keep the audience entertained and in this lies both its appeal and its downfall. While the ironic humour sets the play firmly within the its characters’ lives and keeps things from becoming too abstract, the jokes become a little stale in the second half. It’s a pretty realistic, authentic look at human relationships, albeit one that spurns sincerity.
The set of four chairs, some bookshelves and a keyboard effectively evokes the setting of a modest New York apartment, with a background of exposed brick walls. It makes for a sparse and unforgiving staging which deflects little attention from the actors themselves. This contrasts with a typically lavish Broadway set and budget. This minimalistic approach is both in an attempt to draw attention to the production’s origins, and a reflection of the ethos of the producing group, Ill Advised Theatre, which was set up last year to bring contemporary musicals to Dublin on relatively shoestring budgets. They attempt to keep ticket prices low, and are partially financed by crowdfunding. Given its subject matter and origins, [Title of Show] was thus an apt choice for Ill Advised’s first full scale production. [Title of Show] also continues the New Theatre’s tradition of presenting innovative and unusual productions.
Musically, the cast is strong, especially Sarah Jane Williams as Heidi. The belivabilty of all the actors, especially Jeff (Andy Carberry), and Hunter (Adam Tyrell) is absolute. We are always aware of the dynamic between the pair, as their old friendship is threatened by the pressures of ambition and show business, but at the same time this is never overstated.
The gags occasionally grate and wear thin especially in the second half when the suspense dissolves as the eventual payoff (Broadway!) is reached. The meta-theatrical aspect of the show is intriguing but didn’t manage to hold the audience’s attention throughout. Nonetheless the production’s biggest accomplishment lies the timing and balance of its parody; it relies on a peculiarly self-aware humour and narrowly skirts the risk of of becoming self indulgent.
Bríd Nolan is a member of Cabinteely Youth Theatre and an NAYD Young Critic for 2014
In the run up to NAYD’s Young Critics Panel on Oct 5th as part of the Dublin Theatre Festival, we continue to publish a series of reviews from the Young Critics.
Over the summer months,we asked the Young Critics to attend some shows on their own. We asked them to make a short vlog review of their experience. We then asked a selection of them to turn these into written reviews. Dr. Karen Fricker offered some editorial advice.
So with less than a week to go to the Young Critic’s Panel, Catriona Quigley reviews Heartbreak House
Heartbreak House by George Bernard Shaw, directed by Roisin McBrinn
Performed by Lisa Dwyer Hogg, Nick Dunning, Kathy Kiera Clarke, Brendan Conroy, Marcus Lamb, Mark Lambert, Aislin McGuckin, Chris McHallem, Don Wycherley, and Barbara Brennan
Sets by Alyson Cummins, lighting by Paul Keogan, Costumes by Niamh Lunny, music and sound design by Philip Stewart
Viewed on August 21st 2014 at the Abbey Theatre
Reviewed by Caitriona Quigley
Heartbreak House: the name seems to imply anything but good-naturedness. At the same time, though, period dramas bring guilty pleasure for many, particularly now that Downton Abbey is so popular. And I’ve never studied George Bernard Shaw at all. Given all this, it was hard to know what to expect from the Abbey’s production – but I found myself sitting transfixed.
Shaw set his scene in 1914, just before the outbreak of the First World War, ensuring a plenitude of satirical jabs at the expense of the affluent upper classes who confined themselves to their trivial problems as the world changed around them.
Mark Lambert (Captain Shotover), Aislín McGuckin (Lady Ariadne Utterword), Kathy Kiera Clarke (Hesione Hushabye), Lisa Dwyer Hogg (Ellie Dunn) and Nick Dunning (Hector Hushabye) in Heartbreak House by Bernard Shaw, directed by Róisín McBrinn. Photo by Sarah Doyle.
The play concerns a colourful cast of characters who congregate for a country weekend at the dwelling of the surly yet outspoken Captain Shotover, played with appropriate gusto by Mark Lambert. Shotover has been estranged from his younger daughter Ariadne (Aislin McGuckin) for 23 years — yet she seethes when both the Captain and her eccentric sister Hesione (Kathy Keira Clarke) fail to recognize her. Hesione, meanwhile, has invited her friend, Ellie Dunn (the excellent Lisa Dwyer Hogg) to stay for the weekend. When Ellie arrives with her father and her fiancé in tow, she reveals that she’s had her head turned by a mysterious man, who as it transpires, may be a little too familiar to some of the guests…
I admired how Shaw deconstructs various archetypes often found in period dramas, such as the naïve young maiden, the crotchety patriarch, and the well-meaning best friend. The play’s central theme is deceit, and no character ended up to be as they appeared at the play’s outset. The characters and the audience are simultaneously strung along by this deceit, which paves the way for a literally explosive conclusion!
Aislín McGuckin (Lady Ariadne Utterword), Nick Dunning (Hector Hushabye) and Mark Lambert (Captain Shotover) in Heartbreak House by Bernard Shaw, directed by Róisín McBrinn. Photo by Sarah Doyle.
Heartbreak House, is, at times, an incredibly complex production to follow. I can’t count how many times my mum and I exchanged expressions of confusion about how the plot swerved in many directions, often with no prior warning. Yet, the dazzling set by Alyson Cummins, the actors’ impeccable comic timing and exquisite costumes by Niamh Lunny ensure that this production is, at its best, a genuinely enticing piece of theatre.
In conclusion, we found that Shaw’s razor-sharp wit and jovial banter made for insightful and pleasant viewing. Very highly recommended!
Catriona Quigley is a member of M.A.D Youth Theatre, Dundalk and an NAYD Young Critic for 2014
Edited highlights of the Young Critics Panel Discussion at Project Arts Centre, Dublin on October 6th 2013. Productions under discussion include I’ve To Mind Her, presented by Dublin Youth Theatre Ground and Floor by Chelfitsch Waiting For Godot by Gare St. Lazarre. Chaired by Dr.Karen…
Jess Richter from Lightbulb Youth Theatre in Mallow, Co Cork shares her thoughts on the Young Critics programme and unveils the productions we will be going to see as part of the Dublin Theatre Festival
“Excuse me, do you know where the GPO is, please?” I may as well have asked what planet I was on. “We sure ain’t in Cork anymore, Toto.” Ironically, the GPO is the place in which I and 15 of my fellow comrades met in March, to be introduced to a new planet; the World of Critiquing.
Introductions were made, roommates allotted, and it was straight down to business. We began with a workshop, to get energy and creativity flowing, and discussed what we had researched about the plays we were about to see. I, Malvolio, written and performed by award-winning playwright and actor Tim Crouch; and the Abbey Theatre’s King Lear- both Shakespearian, both beyond my everyday comfort zone.
I expected professionalism, I expected to be awed. What I did not expect, was to be blown from one extreme to the other: crying tears of laughter at I, Malvolio; and those of devastation for King Lear, played by Owen Roe.
Under the guidance of Alan King, NAYD’s youth theatre officer, and Dr. Karen Fricker; we began to learn to critique. We discussed what we liked, what we disliked, directors influence, standard of acting; we began asking new, deranged questions like; “What was the relevance of nuditiy in this piece?” We began to have the courage to voice our opinions.
What I found most interesting was reading the reviews written by professional critics, of shows that we had seen ourselves. While reading an article on the Abbey Theatre’s ‘King Lear’ on the train home, I felt as if my head had been lifted from its shallow cultural trough, for the first time.
Now, in under a fortnight, I am blessed to be returning to the genuine capital, from October 4th to 6th to watch and discuss three productions as part of the Dublin Theatre Festival.
For this weekend filled with theatrical enlightenment; I will be joined with only 14 fellow young crtiics this time. The 16th member, Alice Murphy, is cast in I’ve To Mind Her a play by Shaun Dunne, which we will be critiquing (no pressure, Alice).
We will also see Waiting for Godot, by Samuel Beckett, along with Ground and Floor, by Toshiki Okada; a Japanese production with English subtitles. Needless to say, our expectations are skyhigh, and I expect that even these will be surpassed.
I look forward with eager anticipation to the Young Critic Panel, where we can discuss our views with the public at the Project Arts Centre, Templebar.
The Young Critics programme has given me the opportunity to look at a whole new level of theatre. It has broadened my horizons, leaving me hungry for new plays, shows and productions. It has thought me to voice my opinions; that mine are just as important as those of any professional critic. It has introduced me a new kind of writing, a new lease of creativity, and to some truly terrific people.
And as if that all wasn’t enough; it has shown me how to find the GPO.
The Young Critics Panel discussion will take place in Project Arts Centre at 1pm on Sunday Oct 6th. This is a free event and tickets can be reserved from Dublin Theatre Festival Box Office
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