'Silent' - Review

The question of a production’s “relevance” is usually at the forefront of theatrical discussion, particularly when it comes to the National Theatre. The relevance of Silent is undeniable, giving voice to the hundreds of faceless sleeping bags we pass on the street every day. Written and performed by Pat Kinevane, this one-man show is a powerful piece of theatre, embracing the less shiny parts of our society that we would sometimes rather not see or acknowledge.

Directed by Jim Culleton of Fishamble, this production has been touring both nationally and internationally since 2011, currently making a return to the Peacock Theatre. The piece follows the life-path of Tino McGoldrig, a homeless man engulfed by depression and alcoholism. The play bounces effortlessly between humor and anguish but ultimately forces us to look deep within ourselves as members of society, questioning the prejudices regarding mental health, suicide and homelessness in this country. At one stage, Kinevane asks the audience directly if anybody is currently or has ever taken anti-depressants? There is a squirming discomfort as patrons sink further into their chairs, rather than admit such things to a room full of strangers.

Pat Kinevane’s performance is majestic and effortless, incapable of being justified by words alone. It is the experience of being present with a single body in space that infiltrates the soul of the audience member. Skilfully fusing poignancy with moments of heightened drama, such as expressive and seductive movement pieces or caricatures of the monsters of his past- Tino reconstructs significant events of his life: the suicide of his brother who was branded “a faggot,” his marriage, the birth of his son and his spiral into depression. It is the reliving of such moments and the embodiment of characters from his past that further remind us of the isolation and loneliness surrounding homelessness.

While such moments are harrowing, the production never depends on these to emotionally manipulate its audience and Kinevane’s comedic capabilities are equally significant throughout the performance to deliver an important message. Denis Clohessy’s clever sound composition conjures distinct images of space and time, flitting between memories of the past but always plummeting us back to the present through the piercing sound of coins hitting the bottom of the jar. It is nothing less than a privilege to spend an evening with Pat Kinevane in the national theatre, watching such an important issue being dealt with the utmost delicacy. Informing us that the main cause of homelessness in Ireland is mental health issues, Silent plants in us a seed of social awareness. Tino McGoldrig is a man who once had “splendid things,” who might have even gone to the theatre to watch a play. In the programme, Kinevane states, “It could be you whose own mind torments itself. It could be you who was born into neglect and cruelty. It could be us… at the toss of a coin.”

Running in the Peacock Theatre from 6th of November- 7th of December 

Reviewed:  9^th of November 2013, for TN2 Magazine.

The Journey Begins- 'The Red Room'

What a joy it is to open one’s email and find ‘Hey, want to make some theatre?’

Ok…it may not have been phrased in that exact way but some weeks ago, during a time where I was eager to get my teeth stuck into an interesting project, I received an email out of the blue that seemed to hear my cry. The email was marked “AD” and was from Maeve Stone whom I had worked with the previous year on Pan Pan’s Everyone is King Lear in is Own Home. Maeve was someone I had hoped to work with again as I felt we shared similar attitudes towards theatre and I really admired her creative approach. She asked if I would be interested in being her assistant director on a ‘site-specific/non traditional’ piece based on Strindberg’s The Red Room and I didn’t need to be asked twice. 

The adventure began…

In our first meeting, Maeve informed me of her growing interest in Scandinavian drama and culture and what drew her to this particular text. Having not read the novel before, she explained the central ideas, and I was immediately struck by how relevant the piece was within an Irish context today, exploring themes such as unemployment, corruption and the crisis of identity. I was especially interested in her choice to work on a Strindberg text, with the emphasis on dreams being central to the work. This would allow for a more surrealist and experimental exploration of the text, something I think was important to both Maeve and I from the beginning of the process.

During our initial conversations, we discussed the importance of finding the right space (a difficult task), and how this space would ultimately inform and shape what the piece would become. One Wednesday afternoon, we visited some spaces and went on what seemed like a manhunt to find the guy who knew the guy who knew the girl who might have a number for that guy who possibly had connections to that office.  Rest assured, it all worked out in the end!

What excited me most about this project was Maeve’s adamancy that she didn’t want to rush the process, but instead give it space and time to breathe. While our first showing will be a work in progress in January, the adventure will hopefully continue late into next year. I believe that giving a piece the time to grow is one of most crucial elements of creating new work and I am excited to see how the seed of this idea will morph and change during the development process. Only time will tell…

Watch this space.

F.