Author: The Reviews Hub - Ireland

Writer and Director: Matthew Ralli As we ‘tree bonders in training’ wait at the entrance to the National Botanic Gardens for Ireland’s foremost Tree Whisperer to arrive, the play’s Creative Producer, Colm Maher, is on hand to furnish each of us with a badge, a map and an intriguing riddle. It’s a soft day … nice weather for ducks. Fraxin (Gene Rooney), when she appears, is a vision. Hats off to costume designer Roisín Ní Ghabhann, the costume decoration was brilliant and hilarious. The force of her presence is immediately felt. She is warm, vivacious and energetic. One of our…

Writer: James Joyce Adaptor: Gerry Farrell The stairs up to Bewley’s Café Theatre are lively today. There are some very jaunty straw boater hats and a striped blazer or two. We are seated beside a lovely American gentleman, David, who has travelled to Ireland especially for our annual Bloomsday Festival. A short, comedic adaptation by Gerry Farrell of Irish writer James Joyce’s masterpiece, Blooming Ulysses is part of the programme of events that celebrate the anniversary of a single day in the life of protagonist, Leopold Bloom, as he goes about his business in and around Dublin. The title of…

Written by: Colin Murphy Directed by: Peter McDermott There are many good things to say about this impactful work, not least the performances of TU Dublin’s final-year Drama students. Playwright, Colin Murphy after what must have been extensive research, bases his docudrama on real life facts, records, testimonies, medical reports, and analyses to present how people were treated for mental health issues. This includes barbaric medical mistreatment and forced incarceration in what was once called, the ‘Lunatic Asylum.’ Later this became St. Brendan’s mental hospital and today, as a vibrant university institution, it is called Grangegorman. Multi-layered and entirely engaging,…

Choreographer: Emily Kilkenny Roddy The promotional poster (Ste Murray) for Ruining The Act features a young woman in shocking pink tulle and trainers, lounging with attitude in a nest of pink balloons, in the boot of a car, eating ice cream. Think Madonna in Desperately Seeking Susan. And while the blurb mentions existential dread, it also promises clowns. Expectations are high for a fun evening. Part of The Complex Arts Centre in Smithfield, The Depot Warehouse Theatre on Arran Street East, is a cool venue for Emily Kilkenny Roddy’s cutting edge dance show. The auditorium is packed to the rafters…

Writer & Director:  Aisling Smith Making my way through a sunny Temple Bar with a singer belting out ‘Summer in Dublin’ (Bagatelle) and a belly full of Elephant & Castle chicken wings, I’m happy and excited to finally visit The New Theatre, which I’ve heard so much about. This magical, 66 seater was founded in 1997 by a vanguard of artistic visionaries led by Anthony Fox and Leanne Willars. Accessed via Connolly Books in the city’s historical quarter, it’s like entering Narnia through the wardrobe. The New Theatre is one of the most important platforms in Ireland’s drama scene today…

Writer and Director: Joe Rooney Joe Rooney’s Celebration of Father Ted is a little difficult to categorise, perhaps a variety show, perhaps a stand up plus, but without any doubt it’s a crowd pleaser. Rooney has put together an ode to the show for which he is most remembered, with plenty of throw backs and nods to, but he’s also using the opportunity to showcase some of his own material and original songs, all of which is well received by the audience. Before the show starts the stage is set; the screen has a repeating sequence of images of famous movie…

Writer and Director: Leonor Bethencourt To be or not to be fascinated by a weird and wonderful masked walking tour in Dublin? A fairly easy question to answer – without a doubt you will be. Leanor Bethencourt is no stranger to walking tours and this new offering of To Be or Not to Be Zocorro is a pure delight. Zocorro is an alter ego that feels very close to Bethencourt’s heart; inspired by plenty of different experiences in her own life and originating from an Irish Food Safety ad that made her laugh, she makes for a very intriguing guide.…

Writer: John King and Finbarr Doyle Producer: Tilly Taylor One Moment Now is a new audio play showing in the Bewley’s Café. It is definitely a unique experience. It is both immersive and interactive, which has been seen as a new trend in contemporary theatre. For this play, you are sitting at a table in the centre of the atrium of the café, alone with just a set of headphones and a bag of coffee beans. Through the audio instructions, you are guided in how to use the coffee beans as symbols of the play. For those who don’t like…