Dublin Fringe Festival

Wannabe Deise

Fringe is best thing in Dublin all year round in my view. I will try and post my views on the shows I see here.

I saw Men of Steel yesterday. Very imaginative and original and funny too. Would be best if you were in a giddy mood going in - I laughed but not as much as I could have. Don't sit in front two rows (Smock Alley). If was to give it a crude rating: 3 out of 5.
Continues through the festival.

Went to Art Raid last night also. Not theatre as such but well worth it. Superb - a great idea and a great experience. 5 /5
Continues tonight and tomorrow night.

www.fringefest.com
www.irishtheatremagazine.ie/home/fringeRevLinks.htm - nothing on this yet

cailinoBAC

I wanted to see 'Waiting for Ikea' but it's sold out.

I want to go to a show on Friday at lunchtime. Lenka's wardrobe at Bewley's or 'Ways of making you talk' at the International Bar. Anybody know anything at either. Bewleys is kind of tempting me with its 'light lunch'. What is that exactly?

lukegriffen

Bewleys is a great venue for theatre/music. light lunch is soup and good home made brown bread.

here's my reviews...
Colin Gee 'Across the road' -one of the worst (most disappointing) shows i've ever seen. I've no idea what it was meant to be about.

La Clique - cabaret with a touch of circus, one of the best shows i've ever seen.

Platonov - well worth a look

cailinoBAC

Lenka's wardrobe got a pretty scathing review in the Metro, whereas the other got 3 stars in the Irish Times, so I think that's helped me make my mind up.

Wannabe Deise

8 reviews on ITM site now - should be lot more this afternoon.

Irish Times has published around 10 so far - should be lot more tomorrow. Some available online here: http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/features/2007/0913/1189076230229.html

Married to The Sea got a combined 9/10 from IT and ITM. Ways of Making you Talk got combined 7/10.
Lenka got combined 5/10.

Wannabe Deise

lukegriffen wrote:

...
Colin Gee 'Across the road' -one of the worst (most disappointing) shows i've ever seen. I've no idea what it was meant to be about.

La Clique - cabaret with a touch of circus, one of the best shows i've ever seen.

Platonov - well worth a look

Going to 'Across the road' on Friday
Going to La Clique tonight.
Platonov got 4 / 5 from IT and only 2 / 5 from ITM. shows how subjective reviews can be.

lukegriffen

any more reviews anyone ?

Wannabedeise - how did you get on at 'Across the road ?'

I went to see ...

Simple Girl - enjoyable, was worth seeing if you were in the vicinity
The Miser - excellent, v. funny & in a great setting
La Casa Azul - really good
Particularly in the heartland - not sure, had to miss the opening 15 mins. and couldn't get into the plot, so left early. Maybe someone else could comment on this.
Stuart Davis - not great, 2 or 3 songs was enough for me.

Wannabe Deise

Based on your comments and Peter Crawley's 1-star review in IT I skipped Across the Road. Apparently reading the program made a big difference to this show. See Tanya Dean's review on ITM. She gave it 3/5.

Last Thursday I went to the Art of Swimming. Very good but not quite the 4 stars given by IT and ITM. 3/5.
Later on I went to Les Chiches Capons (not La Clique as I said above). This was very good fun. 4/5.

On Friday I went to the War of the Roses. This was free outdoor performance which originally according to program was supposed to be outside Chester Beatty but was in Civic Offices amphitheatre. Started late but great idea I thought let down by difficult acoustics. Would have worked much better if all the actors with speaking parts had microphones. Still for ideas and effort 4/5.

On Friday night I saw Guardian Angels in Smithfield. This was great fun as well and didn't get audience it deserved. 4/5

On Saturday I saw Ways of Making You Talk in International Bar at lunch time. Good but like Art of Swimming I was less impressed than the critics. 3/5.

Saw the Babelfish Tartuffe on Saturday evening. I was not familiar with the Tartuffe story beforehand so it was educational for me. I enjoyed it but as one reviewer said the combination of computer translation from French to English combined with French accents made some of it hard to understand. 3/5.

On Saturday night based on the great reviews I went to see Mr Kolpert as part of Rep Experiment. Start was delayed due to late pizza delivery ... see ITM review. Very very good and I would give it a 5/5 except I thought it just went a bit too far-fetched towards the end. I felt watching one scene that I was really seeing something special. I'll get back on this later on when the run is finished.

Yesterday I went to Frozen Music. Great setting and brilliant lighting design but Sam Beckett is someone I have difficulty understanding at the best of times and I would have benefitted from reading the work in advance. Hard to score this one. Maybe 2.5 / 5?

Later on I went to Married to the Sea which was excellent. Brilliant lead performance. 4/5.

Finally I went to Gerry and the Peace Process last night as well. Amusing and great ideas let down slightly by budget as pointed out by IT. I thought it moved through historical time too quickly and in places not as funny as it thought it was. That said some people were in hysterics for duration. For me main aspect of this is very fact that it is now possible to stage a show in Ireland now making fun of the likes of Adams, Paisley, Trimble etc Some could argue that it trivializes the tragedy and crimes committed as part of the Troubles but that is a discussion for elsewhere perhaps. 3/5

Overall a good festival so far without quite being great for me yet. My highlights so far: Art Raid Mr Kolpert, and Guardian Angels
On to week 2 now. I'll be going to Seasick Steve, Dog Show Fido, Waiting for Ikea, Dublin City Counseling, the Bus Project and La Clique and as many more as I can fit in ...

BTW my friend went to Rain Party and was very disappointed.

dereko1969

particularly in the heartland - 'plot' might be stretching it a bit not sure there really was one! i'm usually a stickler for a plot but i thought the performances were amazing and i was really swept along by the show, the only thing i didn't like was the Q&A halfway through, though it distracted a lot from the flow of the piece. the music (sufjan stevens and godspeed you black emperor?) was great too and the dancing/energy was superb, would highly recommend it to people as long as they're able to cope with a 'non-narrative' piece where things don't really make sense!

Wannabe Deise

dereko1969 wrote:

particularly in the heartland - 'plot' might be stretching it a bit not sure there really was one! i'm usually a stickler for a plot but i thought the performances were amazing and i was really swept along by the show, the only thing i didn't like was the Q&A halfway through, though it distracted a lot from the flow of the piece. the music (sufjan stevens and godspeed you black emperor?) was great too and the dancing/energy was superb, would highly recommend it to people as long as they're able to cope with a 'non-narrative' piece where things don't really make sense!

I ws going to skip it based on these comments on ITM:
"Although the virtuosity of the performers is admirable, the message is not. That America should be loved simply for its enthusiastic naivety, irrepressible joie de vivre and essential goodness is not only simplistic but also offensive: Ignorance does not breed love, it nurtures contempt."
http://www.irishtheatremagazine.ie/home/fringeReviews.htm#ancrPart

Basically I don't want to go to some "Isn't America wonderful?" type show?
Comments please.

dereko1969

didn't get that 'message' myself and neither did my mates, maybe the reviewer brought that baggage with them? there were elements of the lost promise of a robert kennedy presidency and how perhaps they've been on the wrong track since but whatever i still think it's a superbly performed show.

Wannabe Deise

dereko1969 wrote:

didn't get that 'message' myself and neither did my mates, maybe the reviewer brought that baggage with them? there were elements of the lost promise of a robert kennedy presidency and how perhaps they've been on the wrong track since but whatever i still think it's a superbly performed show.

Cool. I thought his last bit about contempt was a bit bit over the top alright, andyou are probably right he is probably bringing his own agenda to bear.

Wannabe Deise

Saw The Convent last night and for me it is best show I have seen in fringe this year so far. 5/5

Also went to Hairy Bottom and the Jockstrap of Destiny. Some good sketches but overall felt like it was thrown together. Quite scary at times as there was a lot of audience participation. Choose your seat carefully if you go …
2.5/5

GerMc

Mobile - what the fringe was designed to showcase. No messing, no gimmicks and straight from the heart. An expose of conflict, all the more powerful because of its understatedness. I brought my worldly wise 19 year old with me he was mesmerized. A play that resonates with so many situations; gangs, school bullying even global power struggles. Loss of face is a universal dilemna faced by all.

Go enjoy the language and its lyrical delivery.

padsc

La Clique - amazingly original cabaret/circus style show - 5/5
All Over Town - well written play about one young man's personal experiences backpacking down under - 4/5
All Dolled Up - honest, amusing and heartfelt monologue by a very interesting character - 4/5

lukegriffen

Married to the sea - excellent, best script & acting so far that I've seen

Stolik (The Table) - quite amazing for the first 30 mins, then I got a bit tired of it. 4 Polish guys making all sorts of sounds from a table. Definitely worth a look, but €17 a bit steep for what you get.

Caliper Boy - I enjoyed this, physical theatre with live music incorporated, though tbh, I didn't quite get the full gist of what they were trying to say, it was sometimes hard to hear the actors

Upstate - funny to begin with, but became a bit disjointed after that. I had to leave at the interval, but it was nice seeing latvians and nigerians on stage, talking in their native tongue.

Apparently sales are up ~ 50% on last year, & I think the quality is a little better than last year, but i think a lot more marketing could be done, there's a lot of empty seats in the places I've been, & I feel sorry for foreign theatre companies when they're playing to 20 or 30 people. The only sold out shows I know of are Married to the sea & Waiting for Ikea (both small 50-seater venues). A lot of people seem to want to hang on for the reviews before buying tickets.

Also, someone above mentioned Rep Experiment, who are doing Platonov / Mr. Kolpert / Metamorphosis. I saw 2 of the shows and they were solid enough productions, but nothing particulary memorable, then I read in i.times that the Arts Council gave them a grant of 90k for this ! Just so that the same group of actors could put on 3 shows for a 2 week period that would be seen by a few hundred people ??? I must be missing something here, maybe someone could explain ....

cailinoBAC

I'd been hoping to go to a concert on Sunday eve but looks like it's sold out. So I'm looking for other ideas.

Particularly in the Heartland. Not sure about this one, for some reason I'm not mad for it

The Miser. Only noticed this one now actually. I think I read the play when I was in school. Oh, ITM review not great
Zerkano - Actually they're on at midday, but I'm thinking I might have a fringe binge on Sunday as I haven't been able to see much up til now.

Come up and See me- A Peek at Mae West

The Bus Project. This one sounds intriguing and has 5 star review. Might go with that...

Wannabe Deise

sold my ticket for Seasick Steve on Tuesday night as I was too tired. I am getting “fringed out of it” at this stage.
Saw Metamorphosis on Wednesday. Quite good with great central performance by actor playing Gregor. 3/5
Last night went to Ciotog: How did we get here? This was my first dance show of the Fringe and my last. I don't usually go to dance shows. 2/5
Also went to Dublin City Counselling. Rosita Boland gave this 5 stars in IT today. I'd give it 2/5. Unrelentingly grim. I think the point is to let us know that in our new Celtic Tiger prosperity there are many people who have been left behind. Shock. Horror. Indeed the main intention seems to be to shock the audience with foul language throughout, and themes of child abuse, domestic violence and sexual fetish. Some of the performances were very good especially the abused husband character. I thought the nun was very funny. Don't go if you are prudish or religious. Overall I had a few laughs but I didn't need this play to expose me to the bypassed underbelly of society. Is Dublin really such a hopeless place?
Went to All Dolled Up also last night. It got 5 from ITM and 4 from IT. I had never seen a drag queen show before so it was a good experience. I'd say about 10 straight fellas at it myself included in a full house. I found the whole lip synching thing a bit unconvincing at times and indeed a tad silly. Still 4/5 for the "experience".


On the Miser I have seen it highly recommended on here and it got 5 stars from IT but only 2 from ITM.
Come up and See Me got poor-ish review today.
Bus Project could be sold out. Got 5 from ITM and 3 from IT. I am going tomorrow night.
Going to Dog Show: Fido today and La Clique on Sunday. Will be fitting in as many more as I can. Thinking of dropping Waiting for Ikea tomorrow in favour of Caligula at Project.

If I was to recommend 1 show it would be The Convent.

Luke where’d u get the info on the ticket sales?

Wannabe Deise

lukegriffen wrote:

Apparently sales are up ~ 50% on last year, & I think the quality is a little better than last year, but i think a lot more marketing could be done, there's a lot of empty seats in the places I've been, & I feel sorry for foreign theatre companies when they're playing to 20 or 30 people. The only sold out shows I know of are Married to the sea & Waiting for Ikea (both small 50-seater venues). A lot of people seem to want to hang on for the reviews before buying tickets.

Cant blame people for waiting for reviews. If you go to a lot of shows the cost builds up quickly. You need reviews to help you avoid the duds. Also the choice is vast.
I think it is a great festival and fully agree on the marketing thing. So much more could be done to promote it. People really don't know what they are missing. In terms of the"buzz" it beats the socks off the main theatre festival by a mile. Fair play to Event Guide, ITM and IT who do their bit every year.

seamus

I would recommend going to see the Miser (but I'm biased, my better half is in it). It is funny and very energetic. Great setting too. Didn't see the ITM review, but all others reviews have been glowing. Definitely worth seeing if you were on the fence.

cailinoBAC

Yeah you're right, the bus project is sold out. I'm so slow!

fluffybunnyhead

Wannabe Deise wrote:

Saw The Convent last night and for me it is best show I have seen in fringe this year so far. 5/5

Also went to Hairy Bottom and the Jockstrap of Destiny. Some good sketches but overall felt like it was thrown together. Quite scary at times as there was a lot of audience participation. Choose your seat carefully if you go …
2.5/5

I also went to see this, but thought it was fantastic! Maybe cos I was quite safe tucked away in the corner. But it was wonderfully crass, and a quite satirical too. Ridiculous and surreal, but I really enjoyed it. There were a couple of walkouts, which I can understand... the scary naked 'primitive man' was all over this poor girl, and she was not impressed! I really enjoyed the show.
4 or 5/5

Also saw La Clique, which was WONDERFUL. Magic from start to finish,
5/5 for shizzle!!:)

lukegriffen

Went to Some Explicit Polaroids tonight - didn't really like it. I've just decided that Mark Ravenhill (playwright) isn't my cup of tea.

Then went to The Convent which was v. good, I thought it was going to be very serious & introspective, so was quite surprised how it turned out, it was v. enjoyable.

Wannabedeise re sales up 50% - I overheard a remark between 2 festival people, when i was in the temple bar box office. And on a few occasions last year I was at shows with < 10 people (once with only 2 people), so this year there does seem to be higher attendances.

Re. people waiting for reviews to come out before buying tickets- I understand that completely, but the Fringe should be doing something to prevent this. Since a lot of reviews don't come out till Friday, the show could be empty all week & then there's a rush for the last 3 days.
Prices for shows on Mon to Wed should be reduced, or maybe €5 seats released an hour before the show starts, or you should be able to buy a bunch of tickets or a season pass. In certain larger venues like SSMJ the attendance was probably 10 to 20% of capacity.

padsc

Dublin City Counselling was amazing. Fresh, hilarious writing and not a dull moment.

Wannabe Deise

On Friday went to see Vaudevillains. A lot of creativity and charm on show and a very talented performer. I found it a bit slow. 3/5.
Went to see Dog Show: Fido later on. I thought it started very promisingly with good ideas in evidence especially the human dog. Nice set and a great bit of silent film. There was some philosophy being communicated here which I failed to keep up with. Partially because I couldn't hear what was being said. 2/5

On Saturday I went to see The Miser. I thought it was good. Costumes and setting brilliant and the whole performance style was fine (i.e. walking in and out while audience sat in middle of the action). I was not sure about the lead performance though. I couldn't take him seriously. Perhaps this was deliberate given the play is a comedy? 3/5
Saw Lost Luggage on Saturday evening and Haircuts by Children - too great "fringe-worthy" ideas.
Went to Caligula on Saturday evening. Thought this was great in every way. Great set design and lighting and a very strong lead performance and thought provoking subject matter.
To cap Saturday off did the Bus Project. Brilliant idea and some brilliant execution. Some great young actors on show. Not all of the material was of highest quality but have to give this show full marks overall. 5/5.

On Sunday I went to Cinema of Silence at the IFI. A pleasant experience but I was feeling very ill at the time unfortunately so could not concentrate on "the message" of the films on show. 4/5.
Went to Grimm Jam later on. Some good ideas on show here again but I would guess a lot of the references bypassed the kids in attendance. 3/5.
My festival ended with La Clique. Thought opening act of the 2 fellas (acrobats? don't know what correct term is) was best, closely followed by the hoops girl. The guest performers included an Irish acrobat who was fine and bizarrely a transvestite who seemed out of place - the performance consisted of some joke telling and then a song. I left the tent for Mr Rubber. I am too squeamish for that contortionist stuff. Overall very exciting despite feeling a bit short after all the hype. 4/5.

So after seeing 26 shows I gave this year's festival a right go but I still managed to miss some great stuff.
I'll post a summary of my highlights, personal award winners and big misses tomorrow.

Wannabe Deise

My festival highlights

• Art Raid
• Bus Project
• The Convent
• Mr Kolpert
• La Clique
• Married to the Sea
• War of the Roses
• Guardian Angels

Loads more shows I enjoyed but these were the key ones for me.


My big misses:

• Smycz
• Heart of Darkness
• Caliper Boy
• DISCO-NNECT

and apparently Ketzal and Particularly in the Heartland ...