Fringetastic!

September 28, 2009 at 7:37 pm · Filed under Uncategorized and tagged: alan howley, clare barrett, dublin fringe festival, hilary o'shaughnessy, kissing marigolds, lavender the project, lisa lambe, Power point camden court hotel, theatre

After spending the month of August working at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, I decided to volunteer at the Dublin Fringe Festival here which has just finished. There is no doubt about it, the Edinburgh Fringe is a totally different ball-game in terms of size, how it takes over the city and what’s on offer. Edinburgh was pretty much dominated by comedy where as Dublin had a lot more ‘arty’ productions for viewing pleasure. I went to see ‘Lavender’ in the project which was directed by an alumni student of the course I’m doing (MA Drama and Performance Studies in UCD). Oh God. What the…..? It was basically a show filled with lavender smells, hollow balls, a random hoover, projections of lavender fields and people running around, monotnous prose and lots of “deep meaning” and imagery and yeah whatever. I also saw “Kissing Marigolds” in Filmbase which was fairly enjoyable. Well thought-out physical theatre with beautiful melodies and perfect harmonies. Plot was rather monotnous and it went on too long but the acting was very good and singing superb. The fact that the production was hidden down in a dreary basement lacking any atmosphere did it no favours! I also went to see ‘Power Point’ in Camden Court Hotel and was pleasantly suprised! It sounded really boring but overall I was really impressed! Here is a short review I wrote;

This year, Fringe organisers were seeking to challenge people’s perception of art and engage with the current climate. If Power Point in the Camden Court Hotel is anything to go by, then they have certainly succeeded. Writer Tom Swift cleverly combines multimedia and a beautifully written script to create a nonsensical psycho drama that could be referred to as an inspirational conference rather than a play.

We are welcomed to this site specific production by being given a name badge and a conference pack that serves also as the programme and as we are ushered to our seats in the seminar room by the actual actors, we are made to feel like we are actually attending a conference. Business cards with the characters twitter accounts are even given out creating a formal, business-like atmosphere.

The conference begins with the perpetually amusing Mary Point (Claire Barrett) who introduces us to business gurus Jack and Jill Power. (Alan Howley and Lisa Lambe respectively). The combination of raucous music, dazzling special effects, clever lighting and effortless acting that follows creates a frenzied energy as the gurus try to sell us nothing but impenetrable corporate jargon. Chaos then ensues and professionalism falters as we are introduced to Sonny (Hilary O’Shaughnessy), transvestite son of Jack and Jill, and the conference implodes into a hellish family feud exposing the secrets of the perfect, power-hungry couple and their less than perfect life. Normality is finally restored and a delicate intimacy descends upon the room when the actors break free from their original characters and they begin to reminisce about what seems like their very own personal memoirs, the blank photographs serving up as a metaphor to everything that has been lost amidst the fast-paced society that is today.

Little details such as Jill’s Balmain shoulder pads and Louboutin heels, clashing with Mary’s clumsy apparel and the whole graphic odyssey created by Evan Flynn prove very effective and combine to make a visually stunning piece. However it is the extravagant energy and perfect comic timing of the actors maintained through out that makes this quirky, boisterous and for the most part ridiculous piece of theatre a must-see. (19/09/09)

Now for the Dublin Theatre Festival

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