Creators: Jennifer Jennings, Phillip McMahon and Niall Sweeney
WAKE takes the tradition of an Irish wake and reimagines it as a vibrant cabaret, blending music, dance and performance. The show opens with a powerful monologue, delivered against the striking visual of the ensemble assembling onstage in glitzy, all-black funeral attire.
A live folk band, positioned on a raised platform, provides the musical backdrop, featuring a fiddle, drums, accordion and a piccolo of sorts. Their accompaniment enhances the varied performances, showcasing the individual talents of the ensemble, including aerial hoop, breakdancing, Irish dancing, tap, pole dancing, and drag king. The show’s structure alternates between high-energy numbers and slower reflective moments, yet it struggles to establish a cohesive throughline. While the contrast in pacing is engaging, the connection between these performances and the overarching concept feels tenuous.
Nevertheless, the production is undeniably entertaining and unapologetically camp. A standout moment comes in the form of a striptease cabaret number featuring tassels on the buttocks, while the lovable drag king DJ Duncan, an English cousin, successfully gets the audience on their feet. The monologues are elegantly written, offering poignant reflections on grief, including the particularly memorable line, ‘pain closes, grief opens’. These moments highlight the show’s intent to explore death as both a celebration and a mourning process. However, the textual interludes often feel overly explanatory, spelling out thematic links rather than allowing the performances themselves to convey them organically.
Peter Bond’s lighting design is a striking element of the production, with a large circular LED light embedded in the set, shifting between sun and moon imagery on the horizon. This feature, combined with a crumpled wall that serves as a colour-changing backdrop, plays a crucial role in shaping the atmosphere. The lighting effectively acts as a constant, guiding the audience through the liminal space the production seeks to explore.
WAKE is a visually and musically rich cabaret, performed by an immensely talented ensemble. However, while it succeeds in delivering spectacle and entertainment, its thematic execution lacks the clarity and cohesion needed to fully realise its ambitious concept. The result is a show that, though engaging and enjoyable, feels somewhat disjointed.
Runs until 5 April 2025, then at Factory International’s Aviva Studios in Manchester from April 17-21 2025
