Shakespeare | Youth Theatre Ireland Young Critics

An Audio review of Much Ado about Nothing by Killian Reid.

Posted on July 29, 2020 by Youth Theatre Ireland Young Critics

Our latest review sees a return to Rough Magic Theatre Company’s production of Much Ado About Nothing. It toured extensively throughout Ireland in 2019, so it’s no surprise to see it being reviewed again by our Young Critics.

This time, Killian from Longford offers us this audio review.

Rough Magic Theatre Company’s Much Ado About Nothing. Photo Credit: Ste Murray

https://anchor.fm/alan1102/embed/episodes/Much-Ado-About-Nothing—A-Review-by-Killian-Reid-eh316e

Check out an earlier review by Young Critic Máiréad here for comparison.

Killian is a member he is member of Backstage Youth Theatre and a Youth Theatre Ireland Young Critic for 2020.

Killian has been a member of Backstage Youth Theatre (BYT) for four years. Since joining BYT he has participated in many productions, including an annual panto and summer productions. In these productions Killian has worked alongside professional directors as an actor, musician, and stage manager. He enjoys all aspects of theatre and loves the fun of the yearly panto. He has taken part in movement and improvisation workshops and has most recently been selected as a member of the Backstage Theatre Young Critics project. Killian is excited to learn more about how theatre works, how it is created and how is analysed by working as a part of the Young Critics Programme. He is excited to meet more theatre loving people throughout his journey and cannot wait to discover how different people are impacted by theatre.

Rough Magic’s Much Ado About Nothing reviewed by Máiréad Phelan

Posted on April 29, 2020 by Youth Theatre Ireland Young Critics

The 2020 iteration of Young Critics, has like most events globally, been deeply affected by the COVID19 pandemic.

Usually, at this time of year, we are all buzzing with Young Critics excitement. Our group would have met for the first time and had a great weekend together in Dublin. As spring moves towards summer, the group would begin thinking about some of the great shows they could see in their local venues and start to make their critical reviews. None of that will happen this year.

In an effort to share the Young Critics experience with our readers we are running a selection of their initial reviews.

These reviews were submitted as part of their Young Critics application. As such, they represent the first steps on their Young Critics journey. We hope you enjoy them.

Rough Magic Theatre Company’s Much Ado About Nothing. Photo Credit: Ste Murray

Our next Young Critic is Máiréad Phelan. She is member of Free Radicals Youth Theatre, based at Siamsa Tíre Theatre, Tralee, Co.Kerry. Here she reviews Rough Magic Theatre Company’s touring production of Much Ado About Nothing.

Towards the end of last year, on the 9^th of November 2019, in the Siamsa Tíre Theatre in Tralee, Co. Kerry, I saw Rough Magic’s production of Much Ado About Nothing. It was very well advertised play; with an almost full house on the night I attended, with people of various age groups filling up the seats of the theatre.

At first, I was apprehensive of going. Shakespeare plays, to me, always seemed like drab, dull affairs due to my only experience being that of my Leaving Cert and Junior Cert required Shakespeare play, but Rough Magic blew me away with their incredible performance of Much Ado About Nothing.

Rough Magic took a modern approach to the classic drama-comedy, setting it in a colourful summer caravan park, with the character’s costume and roles updated for the modern era. This was, admittedly, a strange contrast to the Shakespearean English they were using, but I felt it just added to the wonderful, absurd humour that ran throughout the play.

Absurd, loud, colourful, and humorous seemed to be the main components of this play and the talented actors in Rough Magic pulled it off brilliantly. It was a crude and wacky play, with the introduction of outfits for the male actors and a hilarious dream sequence in which a character, Benedick, looses, his *ahem* Bene-dick. The prop they used, of course, was a sausage.

With a less talented cast, the script may have come across as too corny or in-your-face, but the talented actors in Rough Magic projected well, hit their lines and were wonderful both in the comedic scenes and the scenes that carried a bit more dramatic weight.

Rough Magic Theatre Company’s Much Ado About Nothing. Photo Credit: Ste Murray

Two characters, who were both a comedic and a dramatic centrepiece, in my opinion, were Beatrice and the aforementioned Benedick. At the beginning of the play, both characters despised each other, but by the end, they were in deep love, though still bickered. The actors made this seem like a natural progression and were one of my favourite plot-threads in the play. It was hilarious and somehow, this entirely comedic play got me incredibly emotionally invested in the relationship and character dynamics.

Rough Magic’s Much Ado About Nothing was a gut-busting and surprisingly emotional play, with a highly talented cast. I would highly recommend both Rough Magic for its talented actors and clever use of modern settings, while Much Ado About Nothing for anyone looking for a feel-good play about love.

Máiréad Phelan. She is member of Free Radicals Youth Theatre and a Youth Theatre Ireland Young Critic for 2020.

Máiréad Phelan has been a member of Free Radicals Youth Theatre in Siamsa Tíre for 3 years now. During this time, she has done 6 stage performances and attended several workshops, centred on acting, writing and stage production. She immensely enjoys writing and does so in her (little) spare time. Mairead is looking forward to what she can learn from Young critics and to meet all new people who might share her interests, as well as seeing some hopefully interesting new shows.

Young Critics Residential – A tale of Cheating, Robbery and Extortion by William McCabe

Posted on April 25, 2018 by Youth Theatre Ireland Young Critics

Two weeks ago, Youth Theatre members took their first steps towards becoming Young Critics. Over the weekend of the 6th to the 8th of April, 16 youth theatre members met for the first time and bonded over a love of critical review.

After viewing two plays which sat at two very different ends of the performance art spectrum – The Unmanageable Sisters being a lighthearted comedy with a dark, fiery underbelly and Tryst being a heavy trip of stretched moral ambiguity and rapid-fire accusations, twists and reveals. But these plays were conjoined in topical themes – such as relationships and abortion – that left the budding critics fair ground to compare and discuss.

Discussion ran rampant, with healthy engagement of differing views and opinions fueling debate and insightful commentary. Despite the group being divided over which play they preferred, this never truly divided the group, but actually helped build critical thinking, while also teaching how to hold ground and justify an opinion – something very important for a critic.

The social backdrop a program like Young Critics sets itself upon proved no obstacle, with participants going from first greetings to Shakespearean murder in a couple of hours. Everything grew from here, especially back at the hostel. Jenga tested trust the first night, but nothing compares to what came the second – Monopoly, a tale of cheating, robbery and extortion. Some riddles were thrown about, and tunes banged out on a guitar.

William McCabe with fellow Young Critics Charles, Róisín and Shane investigate the text of Tryst by Finbarr Doyle & Jeda de Brí

This, paired with the program pushing for further exploration of the digital space, could lead to collaborative theatre reviews in the form of video & podcast. An exciting new frontier awaits the program, and this young critic cannot wait to see where this goes.

The Young Critics visit Abbey Theatre, Dublin.

William McCabe is a member of Griese Youth Theatre in Balitore, Co.Kildare and is a Youth Theatre Ireland Young Critic for 2018.

Young Critics Panel Discussion at Dublin Theatre Festival 2017 (Full Audio)

Posted on October 11, 2017 by Youth Theatre Ireland Young Critics

The Young Critics Panel discussion took place at Project Cube on Sunday Oct 8th as part of the Dublin Theatre Festival.

Listen to full audio here are our panelists discuss three shows in front of a live audience. Chaired by Helen Meany.

Our Panelists were:

The Second Violinist

Young Critics Panelists for The Second Violinist

Tadhg Carey – Celbridge Youth Drama, Co. Kildare

Molly Foley – Activate Youth Theatre, Cork

Cian McGrath – Free Radicals Youth Theatre, Tralee, Co. Kerry

Aaron Dobson – Leitrim Youth Theatre Company, Carrigallen

Class

Young Critics Panelists for Class

David Quinn – Monaghan Youth Theatre

Sean McManus – Dublin Youth Theatre

Lara Coady – Explore Youth Theatre, Leixlip, Co.Kildare

Caoimhe Kenny – Roscommon County Youth Theatre

Hamnet

Young Critics Panelists for Hamnet

Luke Murphy – Lightbulb Youth Theatre, Mallow, Co.Cork

Vanessa Byrne – Mayo Youth Theatre

Kiara Toal – Monaghan Youth Theatre

Ella McGill – Complex Youth Theatre, Dublin

Youth Theatre Ireland Young Critics at Dublin Theatre Festival 2017

Youth Theatre Ireland’s Young Critics Set For Dublin Theatre Festival

Posted on September 28, 2017 by Youth Theatre Ireland Young Critics

With the Dublin Theatre Festival starting today we are gearing up for Youth Theatre Ireland’s Young Critics to return once again to the DTF.

Since April, the Young Critics have been honing their critical skills through workshops and online discussion with the support of professional theatre critics and facilitators. They have also been seeing lots of theatre, collaborating with a group of Scottish Young Critics and creating their own criticism in familiar and unusual forms…

The Young Critics, representing youth theatre from all over Ireland, come together from Oct 6th – 8th, to see a number of shows, and take part in the Young Critics Panel on Sunday Oct 8th.

The three productions the Young Critics are going to see are:

The Second Violinist at O’Reilly Theatre

Class at The New Theatre

Hamnet at the Peacock Theatre

With Young Critics representing Kerry, Kildare, Cork, Leitrim,Dublin, Monaghan, Mayo and Roscommon there are workshops, lively discussions and the Young Critics Panel itself. Here the Young Critics will get the opportunity to voice their considerable opinion on the work of the Dublin Theatre Festival.

Join us Oct 8th at the Project Arts Centre, Dublin at 1pm. This year’s panel will be chaired by Helen Meany.

Put that in your notebook- I,Malvolio

Posted on September 4, 2013 by Youth Theatre Ireland Young Critics

I, Malvolio written and performed by Tim Crouch
Peacock Theatre, Dublin
9 March 2013
Review by Michael Mc Grath

As the 19 members of our group (16 young critics and the facilitators Alan, Karen, and Diane [they’re also critics – we’re all critics!]) piled through the door of the Abbey’s Peacock Theatre, our expectant gazes were met with an accusing glower. It came from a figure dressed in excrement-stained pajamas dotted with flies, and bright yellow stockings, standing in a sparsely decorated set.

Tim Crouch in I, Malvolio
Marcus Yam for The New York Times

Variations of these actions; our engagement and Malvolio’s judging looks were repeated over and over, and we were also soon met with his accusing words. The routine was denied the chance to stagnate by the increasing brutality of our relationship with one another, culminating in the arrival of a noose. An hour later we left our seats feeling a bit puzzled after Malvolio’s subtly-delivered “revenge,” a surprise that we are promised from the start, a punishment for our casual sins. Puzzled and intimidated but also intrigued and impressed. This I won’t spoil for you on the off chance that you are ever given the chance to see Tim Crouch’s brilliant I, Malvolio.
This is a one-man play told from the perspective of Shakespeare’s Malvolio, locked in his prison after the curtains have drawn on Twelfth Night. He is eager to have his say as he peers down on his squirming audience, and often orders us up to the stage to stand with him under the spotlight, literally and figuratively, in this clever performance.

“I am not mad,” Malvolio insists to his audience, whom he regards with contempt but who he believes need to respect his sanity. “Put that in your notebook” he spits at us after noticing our hasty scribbling. This is a taste of Crouch’s witty improvisation which dots I, Malvolio and provokes the most laughs in response to the play.

Soon after “mounting the horse of the script” — as the wonderfully strange half-Malvolio, half-Crouch puts it — we are told exactly how Malvolio intends this “well, whatever ‘this’ is” to go: he will first make us laugh and then attack us for laughing. This is the root of I, Malvolio, which brings the human cruelty inherent in comedy out in the open, where it both causes and silences our laughter with constantly changing tides of glee and guilt.