Irish Theatre scene at the moment

pog it

Hey all,

After watching Fintan O'Toole's Power Plays documentary it reminded me how it's been at least 3 years since I went to see a play. I do read plays though so I think it must be down to the price which I perceive to be €25 on average (no longer a student). It's value for money, but it is a barrier.. well at least for me at the moment.

I've just looked up what's going on in the Abbey and the Gate and they seem to be focussing on Friel at the moment.

In general, how vibrant is the theatre scene at the moment? Do the smaller theatres do well and do any get a decent audience on a regular basis?
Who would be the best known for breaking new playwrights? Do playwrights generally find it hard here to break into the scene and get their play shown? There isn't any cronyism is there?

Also I remember reading a letter in the Irish Times from an actor who said it was a closed shop and that the same actors got the work constantly.

Sorry, a lot of questions, but it's just to get an idea of what's going on.

Thanks for any replies

faceman

This is part of the problem in Ireland, when the general public think off theatre, they are only aware of the Gate or the Abbey. And while some fantastic shows are put on there, many shows are plays that have been done to it or, and I dont say this lightly, disconnected and even irrelevant to a modern younger audience.

There are many theatres in Dublin aside from the above. To name but a few there's Project Arts Centre, Samuel Beckett Theatre, Teacher's Club Theatre, Smock Alley not to mention The Mill Theatre, Draiocht and The Helix.

Most of the shows I go to see are in those theatres. However the smaller theatres dont always get listed or seek to be listed in the main listings in the media. Much of this is down to not knowing how.

There is also a stigma that amateur theatre is of lesser quality than a professional show. Sure the budget is smaller but does that mean the quality will be less? Of course not.

This is one of the reasons why I set up No Drama Theatre. To create opportunities and to steer clear of the old Irish plays that no longer interest me. Its not that I dont appreciate it, but Ive seen Big Maggie and Sive countless times.

Many drama groups and societies are clicky. Many are closed shop. But there are plenty that are not.

In my group for example we only cast from within the group, but anyone can join regardless of experience. We run twice weekly workshops to train and mentor members. We can proudly say that each of our productions have featured actors new to the stage and each of the productions has been successful and as professional as any other group.

We made the opportunities for ourselves though, rather than wait for them.

So to answer your question, how is the theatre scene? Its doing great but its not always as great as advertising itself. If you want to know whats on in the theatre this weekend, dont rely on just one media source for the answer!

Fidelis

+1 to everything faceman said.

The Irish Times 'Ticket' supplement, printed every Friday, does a good job of listing amateur and professional plays. Try entertainment.ie's theatre listings too.

If ticket prices at the Abbey or the Gate are putting you off going altogether, try a preview show - the tickets are usually half price. As mentioned already though, there are plenty of smaller theatres in Dublin, with cheaper tickets and excellent performances.

DoctorGonzo08

I disagree with most of the points raised but I think it is a matter of opinion that it all boils down to.

Firstly I think there are four theatres that stand out to the public, The Abbey, The Gate, The Gaiety and Grand Canal. The first two represent the cultural theatre that has made Irish plays famous and I think what they do is important. The later two offer more modern plays that do appeal to the more modern audience. However the ticket prices for the Gaiety are extorinate at 55 euro.

Behind the big 4, there are all the theatre's that faceman outlined, also including La Cathedral Studio's and The Complex. The general public are not aware of these theatres exist outside of the fringe festival or similar. The big difference being marketing and advertising as the budget constraints of smaller productions do limit them. However there are ways around this, but it takes time and alot of effort to get yourself known. But if you do find out about a show and see it, you will find what faceman said is true in the quality of an amateur performance is just as good if not better than a big budget professional performace.

Unfortunatley in theatre, cliques, ego and heirarchy are always dominant in any group, society or club. It is just the nature of the business. You will find very little support from other members that you may have worked with before as everyone is seen as a competition for places etc. It can be very frustrating at times but the reason you are involved at all is for the thrill performing brings to you so I guess it all balances out.

With regard to the actor that wrote into the Irish Times, you would have to ask was he good enough? So many actors in theatre are woefully bad because they do not practice or understand the basis of acting. Acting, like any other job, requires training, learning, work and experience. Most justskip the first three and go straight for the experience. To say the same actors get all the work is a little far fetched when, in fairness, if you look at casts for productions, it is not the same actors all the time. However, that being said, in larger productions it can be harder for unknown actors to land lead roles as an established name is much better to sell the play with. In general if you put the work in, you will get work.

@ faceman, "In my group" implies cronyism, but I'm sure that wasn't the intention. Comparing your group to other drama groups doesn't offer a good comparitive. As the group has a large member base, you get friends and family to fill the seats. This advantage does notapply to the majority of productions who must rely solely on getting people off the street to see your show. Your group offers something very unique in Dublin with the open door policy for workshops and chance to take part in a production, which isn't offered anywhere else that I know of in Dublin. It is a great oppurtunity for people to get involved with performing wether they are new or returning after an hiatus. Improving skills base for actors though can't be done in this manner however, especially with the vast influence of improvisation that seems to have taken the front step. It is important to strike a balance and challenge yourself otherwise you can only go backwards.

I agree with faceman that if you want to go to a theatre show that you might enjoy, you do have to source a couple of media's. Boards is probably one of the best to find these listings. But keep an eye on posters around the city, as well as the newspaper and internet. Don't be discouraged by the first few attempts, you will eventually get there

lukegriffen

I rarely pay €25 for the theatre. If you pay €25 for an Abbey annual membership, previews are a tenner, the Project normally has one night of a show where there's a deal, for about 12 to 14 euro.
Smaller theatre groups are really poor at marketing themselves.
I saw a great show at The Complex (Iron) a few weeks ago, and there have been a couple of very good shows at The Focus Theatre (Francis & Frances & Men of Tortuga come to mind - www.focustheatredublin.ie), but audiences have generally been v.small in these theatres, less than 20 people.

I never go to the Grand Canal or Gaiety.

Speaking of Smock Alley - a lot of money was spent refurbishing it but i don't think there's been anything in it this year. Anyone know what's going on?

Oh it's also worth mentioning this new festival in July - most shows a tenner, theatre , music, comedy.
http://www.10daysindublin.ie/events.php