The Viking Theatre @ the sheds

The Viking Theatre@ the sheds is a newly-opened, intimate theatre space situated above Connolly’s pub in Clontarf, Dublin. This is an exciting new venue offering a diverse programme of events and an artistic outlet for both audiences and performers. Today, I sat down with the co-founders, director Laura Dowdall and actor Andrew Murray to learn more about the theatre.



Could you tell me a little bit about the Viking and how the theatre came about?

Andrew: I suppose for a number of years now, anybody who is involved with theatre in a small scale was finding it increasingly difficult to find a venue at an affordable price. Myself and Laura had done a few productions together and we’d talked about where we would go and what we would do. Everywhere was expensive and you were taking a high risk. We had talked about doing plays in pubs or somewhere that was quite accessible to people. We were at a pub quiz one night in Connolly’s and the idea came of doing The Weir because it is set in a bar and our theatre has a bar in it. We thought we could just put out a load of chairs and do The Weir. So, we approached Peter Connolly downstairs and asked what the chance was of doing plays upstairs and he just said “Yeah, ok.”

Had either of you ever intended on opening a theatre before this?

Laura: I think it’s always kind of something on the wish list, having your own space to put on your own plays. But, it’s funny, since we’ve opened this space, we’ve been so busy running it and being a receiving house bringing in productions. The Weir is the first thing we put on ourselves. I directed it. Now, in two weeks, Andy is going to get a chance to actually act in one of the productions.

What were the initial goals or ambitions you had for this theatre?

Andrew: I guess it was to make theatre really accessible to people, to keep the price low, to put on really good quality stuff so that, you know, if you took a chance on walking in, you were going to see something good, rather than something in a school hall or whatever. I guess the long term goal was to do productions of our own and to introduce theatre to people who have never even been into a theatre. We’ve had a few of those in, which is really surprising. People have approached us and gone “I’ve never been to the theatre ever, I’ve never seen a play, this is my first play”. When somebody says that to you, it’s actually kind of moving.

Do you think this theatre has had an impact on the community down here in Clontarf?

Laura: Oh yes, very much so. It’s like pushing an open door. It’s like it was something waiting to happen. There’s 17,000 people living in the greater Clontarf area, so that’s an awful lot of people immediately who can nearly walk to the theatre and they don’t have to go to town. They don’t have the expense of taxis or bus fares in or out. It’s €10, it’s down the road and they can have a drink. There has been great support from all of the locals.

What are the main attractions of a theatre like this?

Andrew: A lot of our punters that have been in have said that going to town is such a big thing these days. Theatre tickets are expensive, you have to get taxis and by the time you’re home, you’ve spent €150. A lot of people are saying this is right down the road from them, they can stroll down, easy to get here. There’s no formality attached to it. I suppose theatre has got a little bit of elitism. We try to encourage people and say “Not at all, it’s not like that. Just turn up and have a drink and enjoy yourself.” 

What type of productions have you produced here before?

Laura: We try to provide a variety so that it will attract and please a lot of people. 

Andrew: Anything from Joyce to McPherson. Ironically actually, a lot of the stuff we did originally, a lot of it was Irish written, just by chance. It wasn’t a deliberate policy of ours. It turned out that an awful lot of the good stuff out there is Irish written and Irish produced and has toured extensively.

Where would you like to see the Viking in 3 years time?

Laura: Still here!

Andrew: Still here but that we own the three houses next door and that we’ve broken into them and that we have a huge place… No, we’re happy with the way it is at the moment.

Laura: We really need more people to hear about us, we need to get the word out there.

Andrew: I guess we’d love to get a reputation like places like The King’s Head and The Bush Theatre in London, where people like Ian McKellan and these big names will actually come and they’ll do it in front of 50 or 60 people. They look on venues like that with admiration and respect because it’s such a difficult business to survive in and if you do and you are appealing to the right people, then yeah, you can go forever. I’d love to see some big names here.

Can you describe the Viking in 3 words?

Andrew: Intimate

Laura: Friendly

Andrew: Yeah, and high quality.

For more information about The Viking @ the sheds and their upcoming productions, visit: http://www.vikingtheatredublin.com/

Grenades, Bewley's Café Theatre- Review

In theatre today, the responsibility of a production’s success lies largely on the shoulders of the director.  Audiences often desire to experience something new or shocking; thus it is sometimes refreshing to attend a production such as Grenades, that although incredibly simple, still offers a highly effective theatrical experience.

Grenades was originally produced in 2010 as a radio play and since then has soared into theatrical success, both nationally and internationally. With a minimal set, simple lights and one actor on stage, Tara McKevitt’s production is stripped back, relying largely on language to communicate the story of troubled teenager Nuala Kelly (Emma O‘Grady). 

Set in Northern Ireland, the play explores the devastating effects that political turmoil can inflict on families. Exploring the victimization of children during political agitation, McKevitt’s production focuses solely on the character of Nuala Kelly, an outspoken, opinionated nine year old. Emma O’Grady captures the innocence of the boisterous child, who offers us glimpses into the local community through her animated impressions of characters such as Elaine Jam-Jar Glasses. However, when Nuala’s loss of family is revealed, the play poignantly probes the long term effects of such psychological damage.

The set is simple, yet purposeful. Consisting of  plain walls and a simple green plastic chair, one remains unsure as to whether Nuala is inside a prison cell, or inside the waiting room of the prison. This creates a level of uncertainty regarding the plot throughout. The frozen clock on the wall is perhaps symbolic of Nuala’s inability to emotionally progress from the day her life was destroyed. One gets the impression that the story she shares with us is one that she delivers on a regular basis.

Along with Caroline Lynch’s crisp direction, McKevitt’s writing is authentic and sensitively captures the voice of a child. However, it is Emma O’Grady‘s performance that brings the production to life. While the thought of one actor on stage for an hour can seem monotonous, O’Grady’s performance is engaging with her ability to entertain and move her audience.

 

As I had never attended Bewley’s Café Theatre before, I was slightly unconvinced that such a minimalist theatre could prove to be as effective as a production in a larger, more equipped space. However, after observing people sit around tables, sipping tea and coffee like one would in their own home, while still listening intently to the performance on stage, I believe I am reformed . While it would not be the case for every production, the relationship between the actor and the audience was intensified hugely due to the level of intimacy created by the space. This added significantly to the overall production and allowed us space to listen to each word delivered by O’Grady. 

The Magic of the Melodican...

There are many words one could use to describe Macnas, some of which include whacky, wild, explosive, spectacularly creative and simply brilliant. They dream the extreme!

This week, myself and a troupe of performers became wild and wonderful inventors, joining the Macnas family for the St. Patrick's Day Parade.

 

A performance based on mischief and madness, greatness and genius, insanity, ecstasy, joy and dreams, our Macnas experience was bound to be full of play, magic and experimentation.

Under the direction of Bryan Burroughs, the group attended a series of workshops in the Lir,where we played, moved, invented and created. 

Our source of inspiration came from this contraption, known as the Melodican.

 

Together as an ensemble, we built this magical device, our greatest creation yet! Our invention makes the sun shine, shoots thousands of butterflies all over Dublin, farts freckles, makes music, turns your hair red and flies. Obviously.

It was a privilege to work and perform with Bryan Burroughs, who stepped into the role of chief inventor, guiding us on our inventor ways. There was a real sense of ensemble throughout the entire rehearsal process, with a great emphasis on the body and imagination. We created a performance with the help of secret codes that are so secret I couldn't possibly reveal what they mean, such as:

Melodican                                                          Invention

                                    Inspiration 

Combustion                                                       Respiration

Noeline Kavanagh, director of Macnas, attended two of our rehearsals, polishing our performance and offering us advice about the wondrous spontaneity and excitement of Street Theatre. 

I'm going to take this moment to say that she is quite possible the coolest person ever.

Her energy and passion was inspiring and mind-boggling. Watching her at work is like watching a steam train racing over the moon at full pace, again and again. With such devotion to what she does, Noeline's presence made a big impact on the group. Above anything else, there seemed to be an acknowledgement that we were involved with something very special.

Performing in the parade was one of the more surreal moments of my life. It was the sort of experience that no matter how much time I spent slaving over the keyboard, I would never capture the essence of magic that I experienced yesterday.

Performing to a quarter of a million people in the open air of Dublin, in a costume that could only be described as exquisite, with a group of extremely talented performers, was something quite unforgettable. 

While I had been initially worried about the distance we would be performing, we had reached the finishing line before we knew it. 

The entire performance was like one big blur of laughter, excitement, vigour,creativeness, smoke, colour, energy, spontaneity, inspiration, interaction, whackyness, inventions, frenzy, hysteria, passion and a wee bit of vanity for good measure.

Macnas create magic, and I am extremely grateful to have been a part of that magic.

Fin x