64 (throw my body into the struggle)
64 (throw my body into the struggle) is an unfinished piece of theatrical experimentation which has already moved through two previous incarnations to arrive at its present state. The performers and creative team have worked in collaboration with musicians, dancers, video artists, sound artists, performance artists, writers and their audience to heighten their awareness of the theatrical state and mould this piece of work. The narrative which they began with, that of a group of actors in the hour before performance, disappeared as those characters stepped onto the stage, and now returns only in fragments as the performance has ended and only their characters remain. Whatever definition is left to these performers exists only within the spatio-temporal confines of the images and sounds which surround and entrap them. Join the performers on this intervention into monotony through meaningful interaction and multi-sensory experience.
MON 24 MARCH 2008, 8.15PM
DCU Drama – The Theory of Everything
It’s that time of year again, and the Daly family have gathered for their annual salute to all things familial. However, with daughter Enid still missing – after leaving a string of fractured relationships in her wake – it’s a less than jovial atmosphere that greets everyone as they arrive, with the stress of long-kept secrets and damage done weighing heavily on everyone’s minds. But it’s not until Enid arrives back on the doorstep, supposedly after having turned over a new leaf, that things really begin to unravel. Soon more than one marriage is at stake, as well as the fate of Enid’s child, and the family are forced to confront four generations of pain, secrecy and regret, in the hopes of surviving through two days of a very unique family gathering.
TUES 25 MARCH 2008, 8.15PM
NUI Galway Drama Society – The Zoo Story by Edward Albee
Considered a seminal piece in American theatre, this play is one of the rare occasions when an absurd set-up allows cries from the real world to echo so loudly. This production of The Zoo Story attempts no gimmicks or tricks, but instead presents a bare stage, allowing Albee’s stentorian monologues fill the theatre. Ciaron Davies plays Jerry with a sincerity that makes even the most random turns of phrase sensible while Conall O’Riain’s performance as Peter charts the come down of the independent American.
WED 26 MARCH 2008, 8.15PM
Dublin Unviversity Players – Fish Sandy with Lovely Interludes – A New Play Written by Brian Martin and Michael Carroll
Boy-bird and Girl-bird are chatting in a wood. They are quite confused, but what better way to sort themselves out than by having a chat? Meanwhile Adam decides to make a visit to a psychologist to get a few things off his chest. Who will succeed and who will fail?
THURS 27 MARCH 2008, 8.15PM
QU Players – Molly
Meet Molly. A woman. Obsessed. In a tale of obsession, Molly, a young woman trapped in a stagnating marriage yearns for the one thing she can’t have – a child. Through the use of a sinister chorus, we are invited to observe the inner-workings of Molly’s psyche as this obsession begins to push her over the edge. It is only when Molly stumbles upon a secret threatening to destroy her marriage that we realise exactly how disturbed she really is. Exploring a very contemporary and relevant topic that appeals to many, Molly is a dynamic and exciting piece of theatre incorporating live music, physical theatre and a rhythmic script. The first time writer/director attempts to subvert domestic banality and place it in a highly experimental and sensory setting questioning a ‘normality’ that is anything but normal through the story of Molly, a lonely and highly complex young woman.
FRIDAY 28 MARCH 2008, 8.15PM
Dramsoc – Messiah By Steven Berkoff
Messiah (2000) looks at the resurrection. Was Christ divine, or a political victim, or a clever manipulator? A piece for chorus and actors, using typical Berkoff mime as the devil, Pilate, Mary etc. develop the story.
SATURDAY 29 MARCH 2008, 8.15PM