Features

Scenes from a Siberian youth

Scenes from a Siberian youth

It is a bright summer’s day, but inside the Savoy Theatre the lighting is dimmed, with heavy velvet curtains, a long bar and stairs winding upwards to a second floor. Empty of its evening revellers, the space is moody and atmospheric, an apt choice of location for the urban hell chronicled in Plasticine...

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Artists of the floating world

Artists of the floating world

A character in one of the international shows in Dublin Dance Festival remarks to another, “I like the way you move.” The comment, ironic in the particular context, had reverberations throughout the festival: the manner and mode of gesture, steps and phrases were connected to an interlocking...

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On an upward spiral

On an upward spiral

It starts with incongruity. Why is the large cushioned sofa on the lawn? Already intrigued, we peer expectantly at the half-lit figures behind the glass screens of Aedín Cosgrove’s inventive design in the opening sequence of Junk Ensemble’s terrific show, which jump-started Dublin Dance Festival...

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Bodies of knowledge and experience

Bodies of knowledge and experience

On a warmly lit stage, two bodies are prostrate, facing the audience. They kneel, foreheads touching the floor. On one, a straight-lined set of vertebrae disappears over the horizon of the curved back. On the other back, a large hump protrudes on one side. That back belongs to German choreographer Raimund...

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Permission to take risks

Permission to take risks

One of the aims of the Project Brand New programme is to allow artists to experiment without the fear of failure. Organisers Louise Lowe, Lynnette Moran, Jody O’Neill and Dee Roycroft are especially interested in promoting collaboration between artists from a range of disciplines, while encouraging...

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Powerful theatre, morally essential

Powerful theatre, morally essential

'The Darkest Corner', a series of three theatre pieces seen over recent weeks on the Peacock stage, constitutes the National Theatre’s response to the revelations of systemic and widespread abuse as detailed in the 2,700-page Ryan Report, published in May 2009. The Abbey’s programming is...

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Two cities, multiple directions

Two cities, multiple directions

In the coming months, Dublin audiences will see the work of two emerging Irish directors whose names – Roísín McBrinn and Donnacadh O’Briain – are probably not as familiar as one might expect, given their level of experience and the number of impressive credits on their CVs. This is...

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A London Letter: Jerusalem

A London Letter: Jerusalem

Most people who follow theatre in these islands will have heard about Jez Butterworth’s play, Jerusalem, which premiered at London’s Royal Court last July, transferred to the West End in January, and is heading for Broadway next year. Much of the buzz has centred around Mark Rylance’s...

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Boom, bust and breeze-blocks

Boom, bust and breeze-blocks

Director Rachel West and her company, RAW, have grabbed some unlikely plunder from the recent “hey-presto” transformation from property bubble to lead balloon. With the support of project funding from the Arts Council, West gathered a multi-disciplinary group of artists to delve into The...

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Child's play: making theatre for young audiences

Child's play: making theatre for young audiences

We are increasingly aware of looking after minority groups within the arts, either through representation or provision. But when it comes to children, responding to their needs can be a trickier affair. Some of this has to do with the fact that young people are rarely at the helm of decision-making,...

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