Creator & Director: Phillip McMahon & Jennifer Jennings
Not having been fortunate enough to see RIOT when it first took the nation by storm in 2016, it feels imperative to urge anyone in the same boat to ensure they get to Vicar Street for this limited opportunity to witness Irish theatrical history. The jewel in THISISPOPBABY’s many sparkled crown, RIOT has an aura of the legend around it; people talk about seeing it under the Spiegeltent in 2016 in reverent tones, critics around the world laud it from Sydney to New York, but it’s a very special treat to see it return to Vicar Street this summer for a limited run.
Dreamt into existence by Phillip McMahon and Jennifer Jennings, but helmed by the incomparable Panti Bliss (The Queen of Ireland) and Emmet Kirwan, RIOT is a variety show that brings the essence of traditional Irishness straight into the now, marrying exceptional art with essential politics, and whipping the audience into a frenzy. The atmosphere of the room is electric, Dublin has been dying to see this show again, and it’s nothing short of jubilant to be part of the fizzing excitement as Panti Bliss lip syncs to opera and the hushed awe as Kirwan takes his seminal Heartbreak to the stage once more.
Art is everywhere in this show, from the silver umbrellaed stage by Niall Sweeney to the many varied and many glittered costumes of James McGlynn Seaver; there is always something to look at if you can drag your eyes away from the mesmerising performances themselves. The aerial acrobatics of Omar Cortés González are jaw dropping, his exceptional strength and grace in the air just about overshadow his saucy striptease. The Lords of Strut bring their uniquely weird and comically perfect dance stylings to the stage, Up & Over It Irish hand dance to Britney in a show stopping performance, and the Sirens (Alma Kelliher, Nicola Kavanagh, and Adam Matthews) provide alternately dreamy and powerful vocal brilliance throughout. A special mention to Nicky Lewis, who took a technical difficulty and turned it into a thoughtful moment of connection and collaboration with the audience, creating a unique memory that many will have tucked away to look at later with a shiny eyed joy.
At the heart of this show is a loud and clear message of love, but also a resounding call to action. When it first captured hearts at the Dublin Fringe in 2016, it came to the audience at a time of political change; buoyed by the landmark marriage equality referendum but still a few years before the nation rose up again to repeal the 8th, it spread the message that Ireland is a country that needs its citizens to stand together, to be the change we want to see, to recognise the power we have to make it an equitable place for all. It may be 9 years later, but the message remains the same with Panti Bliss and Kirwan calling again for the audience to realise that we create the world we live in, and we can make it safe for the communities currently under attack. If you are blessed enough to see RIOT at Vicar Street this July don’t be surprised if amidst the cheering, and the laughing, and the clapping to the beat, you find a few tears threatening, or a few goosebumps prickling, or a little lump making itself known in your throat as you feel that call to action stirring you to something greater than yourself.
Runs Until July 20th 2025.
