Riverbank Arts Centre and Mermaid Arts Centre presents
“Who is it that can tell me who I am?”
― King Lear, Act I Scene IV
All at once fast paced and thought-provoking, Lost Lear lands us into the world of Joy, a woman with dementia, who is being cared for through a method where people live inside an old memory.
Following the national and international tour of ‘A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings’, Dan Colley and his company have turned their sights on a very (very) loose adaptation of King Lear, examining the self and that part of us that’s inaccessible to others.
There will be a post-show Q&A on the 10th of November with the Dementia Carers Campaign Network and the company after the show featuring the company and also Paddy Crosbie who is a member of the DCCN. Dementia Carers Campaign Network is a group of people who have experience caring for a loved one with dementia. They aim to be a voice of and for dementia carers in Ireland and to raise awareness of issues affecting families living with dementia.
Lost Lear Familiarisation Guide: Find here a welcome pack containing information about the venue, content to flag in the show, images of the cast, and a brief synopsis of the play. This guide provides information in order to ensure the audience know what to expect and feel comfortable in our space.
Co-produced by Mermaid Arts Centre and Riverbank Arts Centre and funded by the Arts Council of Ireland and supported by Fishamble’s New Play Clinic.
Accessibility
Please note: Contains strong themes including depiction of the experience of dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease.
If you have been affected by this material in any way, The Alzheimer Society of Ireland’s National Helpline is available 6 days a week on 1800 341 341 or email helpline@alzheimer.ie
If you require assistance for your visit, please do not hesitate to contact us at access@projectartscentre.ie or call 01 8819 613 . You can find the latest information about Project’s accessibility here
Credits
Written by Dan Colley, with the company, after Shakespeare
Directed by Dan Colley
Cast
Joy – Venetia Bowe
Conor – Peter Daly
Laim – Manus Halligan
Ensemble – Clodagh O’Farrel, Em Ormonde
Composed by Daniel McAuley
Set Design – Andrew Clancy
Lighting Design – Suzie Cummins
Costume Design – Cherie White
Sound Design – Kevin Gleeson
AV Design – Ross Ryder
Assistant Director – Joy Nesbitt
Stage Manager – Evie McGuinness
Assistant Stage Manager – Sarah Purcell
Sound Operator – John Norton
Chief LX – Adrian Moylan
Chief AV – Laura Rainsford
Assistant Production Manager – Ben Moore
Production Manager – Eoin Kilkenny
Graphic Design – Sarah Moloney
Lead Image – Patricio Cassinoni
Production Photography – Ste Murray
Producer – Matthew Smyth
Biographies
Dan Colley is a theatre maker with a particular focus on devised ensemble work, theatre-for-young-audiences and large-scale spectacle. As Artistic Director of Collapsing Horse (2013-19) he directed nine original productions, a series of ten radio plays, an exhibition in the National Museum, and toured to New York, London, Edinburgh, Bergen, Moscow, and 15 Irish venues. He was also Co-Artistic Director of the Kilkenny Cat Laughs comedy festival from 2017-19. Collapsing Horse’s final production, A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings was nominated for two Irish Times Theatre Awards and four Dublin Fringe Awards, including ‘Best Production’. Dan directed and co-created TWENTY FIFTY with Fionnuala Gygax, an online interactive theatre piece part of DUETS in Dublin Fringe 2020.
Dan was awarded the Arts Council’s Next Generation Bursary Award in 2016. He is Theatre Artist in Residence in the Riverbank Arts Centre, a member of the Project Arts Centre, and on the board of the Dublin Fringe Festival.
Press
★★★★★ The Stage
“Devastating stuff, deftly done…Colley is a theatre maker of remarkable imagination and insight”
★★★★★ The Examiner
“Brilliantly conceived and executed…a remarkable achievement”
★★★★★ The Arts Review
“Bravely visits painful places to tenderly illuminate them”
‘Best New Play’, ‘Audience Choice’, ‘Best AV Design’ and ‘Best Supporting Actor’ nominee at the Irish Times Theatre Awards
Funding
The Arts Council of Ireland
Project Arts Centre is proudly supported by the Arts Council and Dublin City Council.