This past weekend I was able to sample two shows in the Dublin Theatre Festival - both very different from each other, but both incredible works.
First I headed to the Gaiety Theatre for Rian, a mixture of contemporary dance and traditional Irish music. The combination of the previously mentioned was incredible. Choreographer Michael Keegan Dolan along with the Fabulous Beast Dance Theatre created amazing fluid continuous movements that brought out new life in the wonderful traditional music under the direction of Liam O Maonlai. There was symbolism and reference to old Irish ways throughout the two (straight) hour performance, and the use of the musical instruments and sean nos singing paid respect to tradition with a new contemporary outlook in the dancing. An amazing start to the day!
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| Photos courtesy dublintheatrefestival.com |
The second show was a traditional play at the Abby Theatre (Ireland's National Theatre), an Irish classic Juno and the Paycock. It was also quite brilliant, a story of a family struggling in poverty set around the political and social events of the Irish Civil War. The set design was amazing and the actors were incredible giving everything from humor to drama, even cooking real sausages in the small stove on stage! Hard to realize that so many people went through the struggles the family in this play did not so long ago.
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| Photos courtesy dublintheatrefestival.com |
Another great culture filled weekend in Dublin!
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