Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2005

Dublin by Lamplight
Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Alan Miller
posted 2 September 2005

Imagine a strong Vaudeville, throw in some engaging American Story Theatre and then add a dash of Commedia dell'Arte and what one gets is a surprising homily to the great city of Dublin, set like Ulysses in a single day, only this time it is 1904 and centred around the launch of The Irish National Theatre.

Martyn Wallace (played by Mark O'Halloran) is a spindly master of ceremonies, a kind of extreme tranny-thesp who is hilarious from the kick-off. Through Martyn, we go on to meet Willy Hayes (Louis Lovett) who is the producer of the Irish National Theatre. Suffering from intense physical hunger, yet eternally optimistic, he is the jovial counterpart to his brooding, drunken and terribly flawed actor and brother, Frank Hayes (the brilliant Fergal McElherron).

Willy courts the wealthy Eva St John (Karen Egan) in order to help with the creation of his real romance, the theatre. She professes to him, after having smashed his old watch and presented him with a beautiful new one, that 'The old order is over, this watch is to mark a new era for theatre, for nationalism, for freedom…'. While this sounds like pretty straightforward stuff, the context in which it is created is certainly not.

Dublin's Corn Exchange, which was founded by the director of the show Annie Ryan, has developed an elaborate mixture of theatrical styles. Combining Commedia dell'Arte with American Story Theatre and a good dash of Vaudeville has paid off tremendously.

The facial masks are superbly contrived and deformed, presenting the darkness that signifies both Dublin and its inhabitants. Having the actors run their own commentaries as with Story Theatre (developed by Paul Sills, pioneered by his mother Viola Spolin and popularised by Chicago's Piven family who run the Piven Theatre Workshop that Annie Ryan attended) is a good device and we are continually mesmerised by these characters. There are basically no props. All of the action is created through intense work by the cast and they do not ever lose us - not even for a moment.

Combining comedy, farce, tragedy and social commentary, Dublin by Lamplight uses provocative forms to immerse the audience in another world. Dazzled by the dexterity of the performers and the compelling story, we want to believe all of this make-believe. I found myself though, being brought back to stark reality as the increasingly crass nature of how the issue of Irish freedom was portrayed through the character of Frank. He is lost, an alcoholic and insular misfit. The other Irish Republicans are presented as thuggish muggers and hoods. While I never believe good politics makes for good art, I was left with a bad taste in my mouth at this unmediated presentation.

That said, Michael West the writer must have had a ball with this immensely talented and versatile improv ensemble. Finally, to Conor Linehan, the composer who is right there in the mix on stage for the entire duration, providing much of the tension, comic relief and pace, a particularly tough place to be at 10.30 in the morning at the Edinburgh Fringe, bravo sir. Just as Maggie (Janet Moran) realises her dream to perform on stage, I hope that this gets picked up and we get to see a lot more of this multi-disciplined troupe.