Posted on October 23, 2010 by Darren
The Abbey is very much selling Frank McGuinness’ adaptation of Henrik Ibsin’s John Gabriel Borkman as a timely piece of work. Set during a recession and focusing on a former banker who has managed to avoid squalor by assuring his property ends up in the hands of his sister-in-law (though she bought it at auction rather than the fact he assigned it to her), it is an easy enough sell in modern Ireland. However, the play’s themes are much more universal than that – it’s a story about our attempts to live vicariously through others and attempt to define ourselves contrary to whatever plans those around us might have, a reflection on how easily and readily we construct elaborate cages for ourselves (but cages that we insist are actually throne rooms). However, the main draw to this theatrical run – and perhaps the factor behind its near-constantly sold-out status – is a lead performance from Alan Rickman as the eponymous banker-turned-outcast.
Cool...
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Filed under: Theatre | Tagged: abbey theatre, alan rickman, dublin, dublin theatre festival, Fiona Shaw, Frank McGuinness, Henrik Ibsin, John Gabriel Borkman, John Kavanagh, Lindsay Duncan, review, Royal National Theatre, the abbey, Theatre, Ulster Bank Dublin Theatre Festival | Leave a comment »
Posted on June 17, 2010 by Darren
Arcadia is great. It’s a wonderfully dense, witty work from writer Tom Stoppard. The Gate production is, as one would expect, top notch, and the play seems to suit the surroundings of the theatre, with its lavish set design and production values. Whether you’re looking to wrap your head around something stimulating, or simply looking for an entertaining night at the theatre, you could do a lot worse than Arcadia.
Don't worry, he doesn't lay the maths on too hard...
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Filed under: Theatre | Tagged: arcadia, dublin, gate the gate theatre, gate theatre, play, review, stoppard, the gate, Theatre, tom stoppard | Leave a comment »
Posted on April 24, 2010 by Darren
Myself and the better half had the pleasure of taking in a show in the national theatre last night. Director Jimmy Fay has brought Shakespeare’s MacBeth, the play known in the industry as “the Scottish play”, to the stage. I studied MacBeth in secondary school, as one of the big four tragedies. I would have rather studied Othello or Hamlet, but at least it wasn’t King Lear. We had high hopes in settling into our seats for the full performance – Fay had brought The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui to the stage only last year in a show that remains perhaps my favourite of all the plays I have seen at the Abbey. Did MacBeth live up to those expectations?
"Something wicked this way comes..."
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Filed under: Theatre | Tagged: abbey, aidan kelly, dublin, eileen walsh, jimmy fay, macbeth, macbeth at the abbey, play, review, shakespeare, the abbey, the abbey theatre, Theatre | 3 Comments »
Posted on March 20, 2010 by Darren
Yes, we occasionally do high-brow stuff here as well. I had the great joy of taking the better half to a performance of Swan Lake by the Russian State Ballet at the Grand Canal Theatre last night. It’s the first show to perform at Dublin’s newest and largest theatre venue and it was a great opening for the 2,100-capacity location. I’m still more than a little skeptical about the venue’s longterm prospects – is Dublin large enough to sustain a theatre of that size? – but there’s no denying it is simply jaw-dropping.
Just Swanning Around...
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Filed under: Theatre | Tagged: arts, ballet, dublin, grand canal dock, grand canal theatre, Ireland, national theatre, russian state ballet, swan lake, tchaikovsky, Theatre | Leave a comment »
Posted on November 20, 2009 by Darren
Myself and the better half had a very… theatrical evening last night. First we stopped by Trinity to check out the up-and-coming talent during their “directors’ debut” season (running for the next three weeks, if you feel like taking a chance with your theatre-going) and then we went on to catch a performance of the HMS Pinafore playing at the National Concert Hall from the Rathmines & Rathgar Musical Society (the people behind The Producers at the The Gaiety earlier this year). It’s rare that we get a Gilbert & Sullivan musical performed in full, so was it worth it?
Yes, this is the only photo we have...
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Filed under: Theatre | Tagged: dublin, gilbert & sullivan, HMS Pinafore, musical, National Concert Hall, pinafore, R & R, Rathmines & Rathgar Musical Society, Rathmines and Rathgar Musical Society, Theatre | Leave a comment »
Posted on October 17, 2009 by Darren
It has been a while since I’ve worn my ‘theatre reviewer’ hat, but I’m blowing the cobwebs off on this one. My girlfriend is a huge fan of the Corn Exchange theatre group and we decided to give their new work, playing as part of the Ulster Bank Dublin Theatre Festival, a go. I’ve had very mixed luck when it comes to seeing performances in the project theatre, and while I was quite impressed with the technical aspects of the play – I couldn’t help feeling that something was missing.
Not quite a stroke of genius...
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Filed under: Theatre | Tagged: corn exchange, dublin, dublin theatre festival, freefall, play, project arts centre, stroke, templebar, the corn exchange, Theatre, theatre festival, Ulster Bank Dublin Theatre Festival | Leave a comment »
Posted on July 23, 2009 by Darren
We caught The Rivals playing at the Abbey last night. I’m not sure quite what to make of it. Featuring characters with wits as sharp as their swords, a fantastically ‘theatrical’ set design and a solid cast, I couldn’t help agreeing with the author’s opinion as I’d read it in the Prologue earlier that day: the play is just too long. Apparently when it first appeared, the play was less than a success with audiences – being considered too long. Apparently Sheridan went back and significantly re-edited the play, and that is the version we are left with today. I would suggest that it is still just a tad too long, but only a little bit. Still, it was an entertaining evening sparkling with humour, flair and vitality, and there have been far worse productions this year. So, what did I make of George Washington’s favourite play?
We know who wins on style...
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Filed under: Theatre | Tagged: abbey theatre, dublin, Ireland, play, play review, Richard Brinsley Sheridan, the rivals, Theatre, theatre review | Leave a comment »
Posted on June 16, 2009 by Darren
We caught The Shawshank Redemption as it was winding up in The Gaiety last weekend. I’ll come clean and admit that I am not as in love with the movie as most, but I did like it. I feel the same way about the stage adaptation – which got a standing ovation from our crowd. I was less convinced – I don’t particularly love it, I don’t particularly hate it. My opinion sits somewhere in the middle.
Reg. E. Cathey never thought that OZ would have prepared him for this...
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Filed under: Theatre | Tagged: dublin, play, reg e cathey, the gaiety, the shawshank redemption, the shawshank redemption play, Theatre, theatre review | Leave a comment »
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