Friday, February 22, 2013

Stephen McDermott, Conor Madden and Rob McDermott discuss new play about Christopher Marlowe's demise, 'The Secret Art of Murder'


"Hell hath no limits", writes Christopher Marlowe, "for where we are is hell/And where hell is there must we ever be".

Lines like this must have shot up hairs on the back of necks of audiences for whom, living in the Elizabethan era, God and the teachings of the bible were instilled as definitive truths. His antagonist Mephistopheles goes on to describe God as a "wretched" finding comfort in "companions in misery" (and in latin, to boot).

Marlowe's untimely death - reportedly, a stabbing through the eye in a tavern brawl - came only ten days after an arrest warrant issued by the Privy Council, assumingly on grounds of heresy. Speculation over his murder grew with the revelation of a letter by the Council sent to his university insisting that he receive his Masters degree for he was "working on matters touching the benefit of his country". Was Christopher Marlowe a spy?

This world of Elizabethan espionage has attracted playwright Stephen McDermott, whose new play, The Secret Art of Murder, is not a recreation of the dramatist's death but of the investigation into his death that has haunted the literary consciousness for centuries.


Friday, February 15, 2013

Abbey Theatre, 'King Lear': The Weight of this Sad Time


Abbey Theatre, Dublin
Feb 12-Mar 23

My review of King Lear coming up just as soon as I'm not so young to love a woman for singing ...


Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Call Back Theatre, 'Fred & Alice': Love in the Time of OCD

Bewley's Cafe Theatre, Dublin
Feb 6-23

I don't have time to do a full-length review of Fred & Alice, which I enjoyed.

In John Sheehy's new play two individuals diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder find each other in an institutionalised home and negotiate their way towards independent living and finding a home of their own.

Sheehy has written a playful script, almost with musical notation. I don't feel that the darker moments, such as Alice's account of her part in the demise of her kitten, quite balance with the lighter tone of the rest of the play - which is effectively managed. The purple prose in these moments just feels out of place. But the performances are engaging, especially the sprightly Cora Fenton.

What also strikes me is how the subject of mental illness in theatre, as also seen in Pat Kinevane's Silent and Dylan Tighe's Record, continues to be presented alongside with artistry - you have Valintino and the range of influences in Silent and Tighe's own music in Record - as if these creative outlets of communication are a means for frustrated characters to articulate and express themselves. On the other hand, psychological disorders may be exploited and used primarily as plot devices - as was some of the criticisms made of Carmel Winter's 2010 play B for Baby.


Was this the case with Fred & Alice? What did everyone else think?

Thursday, January 24, 2013

15th Oak, 'The Life and Sort of Death of Eric Argyle': Remembrance


Smock Alley Theatre,
Jan 14-26


My review of The Life and Sort of Death of Eric Argyle coming up just as soon as the pragmatic, organisational part of my brain kicks in and I develop a haphazard filing system ...



THEATREclub, 'THE THEATRE MACHINE TURNS YOU VOL. III': Bonus Track Version


THEATREclub's mini-festival THE THEATRE MACHINE TURNS YOU ON, VOL. III has run it's course (check out my previous coverage here). A few more words on it after the jump ...


Wednesday, January 9, 2013

THEATREclub, 'THE THEATRE MACHINE TURNS YOU ON VOL. III': A Revolution Is A Change Of Mind


Project Arts Centre, Dublin
Jan 8-12, 15-19

Last night I attended the opening night of THEATREclub's THE THEATRE MACHINE TURNS YOU ON VOL. III. My thoughts on the evening coming up after the jump ...


Thursday, December 27, 2012

Irish Theatre in 2012: Sacred Duties


In keeping with tradition I decided to do another write-up on the year that was, theatre-wise.

Last year I wrote about how I felt about lists and how un-useful they can be, so I'll be keeping with the approach of a discussion. Feel free to contribute in the comments section below.

On the subject of 2012, you'll probably have noticed that this blog has been inactive for most of it. This has been a result of time commitments to PhD research, work, a foray into making theatre (which is perhaps better left undiscussed), and to writing about theatre elsewhere and being paid to do so.

However, I've been thinking a lot recently about returning to the self-publishing ways. Aside from the insane amount of other things I have to do, I've found myself capable of writing faster, and so I think a weekly blog post is certainly achievable.

So please stick around (any press managers out there please retain my contact information!), and I'd like to wish Happy Holidays to all who have been around these parts, even if they have been quieter than usual.

My thoughts on Irish Theatre in 2012 after the jump ...


Thursday, November 29, 2012

Sugarglass Theatre, 'Tender Napalm': Concerning the UFOs

Project Arts Centre, Dublin
Nov 27-Dec 8

My review of Sugarglass's production of Tender Napalm by Philip Ridley coming up just as soon as my marine D.N.A. kicks in ...



Thursday, October 4, 2012

The Company, 'Politik': Bank Job


Samuel Beckett Theatre, Dublin
Oct 3-6

My review of Politik coming up just as soon as I dream of a black Christmas ...


Monday, October 1, 2012

The Corn Exchange, 'Dubliners': We Are Our Own




Gaiety Theatre, Dublin
Sep 27-30


My review of The Corn Exchange's production of Dubliners by James Joyce coming up just as soon as I deal with moral problems as a cleaver deals with meat ...