With new theatre companies emerging, a tendency develops to resort to revivals of the canon. It is understandable that tried and tested plays are safer bets, and more likely to bring in punters off the street.
On the other hand, if a company in its infancy lacks funding, as well as professional actors, it begs the question: Will they do the play justice? Why would we choose to see The Plough and the Stars done on a shoestring budget with a young cast playing up, when we could go to a Druid or Abbey production instead?
In many ways, it is much braver and more dangerous to take a chance on new writing: plays by young writers, starring young actors, that explore the lives of young people in Ireland; plays which, frankly, the top brass in Irish Theatre would not touch.
Yes, it runs the risk of absolute disaster, but surely that is the point. At best, you deliver an experience that is truly original and surprisingly captivating. At worst, at least you tried something different.
HystERia Productions are taking such risks, debuting new, short plays from three emerging Irish playwrights.
Firstly, there is Joshua McNutt, a UCD graduate whose play The Deadline Project had a sold-out run at Dublin Fringe Festival last year. Emily White is a multi-disciplinary writer based in Galway who recently participated in Druid’s FUEL residency. Finally, there is Malachy Duggan, a local publican whose show Jezahel ran in The Town Hall Theatre and An Taibhdhearc, among other notable venues.
The night began with McNutt’s What Ever Happened to Little Green Men. This is a jovial, silly comedy about an alien invasion, where a lot of the jokes miss their mark. Seán Egan gives it everything, extracting a few good laughs through physical comedy. The classic ‘man at the door’ dramatic device is replaced with Rena Bryson’s ‘woman at the door’. She stands out for playing it straight.
Duggan’s Bar Wars might better be described as a ‘show’ rather than a play. I could see it touring pubs countrywide. Filled with one-liners and observations only a man who has worked in bars all his life could contrive, there are moments of legitimate comedic genius in the script.
Occasionally, it invests too much in a gag that falls flat, losing momentum at various points as it wanders off on tangents. Yet, it is a piece and an ensemble, that you cannot help falling for - in particular Laura Hutchinson’s vivacious, longing-for-more barmaid, who finds herself caught up in a long-standing feud between two neighbouring pubs on a remote island.
Sandwiched between these two humorous plays is White’s Re-Living, a considered and intelligent piece of writing about a couple who experience the same conversation repeatedly.
Frustratingly, the action takes place too close to the front of the stage, leaving those of us in the back row with a severely impeded view. Still, we see enough of Seán Gannon’s delicate performance to recognise that it is the finest of the evening.
There is a strong bohemian scent from HystERia, something Galway used to be famed for, but which has all but disappeared due to rising housing prices and a dearth of affordable rentals.
Would a seasoned theatre-goer describe this as a ‘good production’? No, but that is not the point.
This showcase made for a wild night of carefree entertainment, exhibiting fantastic, up-and-coming talent, not to mention that it oozed cool, solidified by That Handsome Devil’s ‘Pills For Everything’, which served as soundtrack for the evening.
Critical and all as one might be, it would be hard to deny that I had a lot of fun, though nowhere near as much fun as the cast were clearly having.
The showcase is a gamble, that falters at various points throughout, but ultimately bears fruit.
This was a successful run for director Emily Aherne, with Conor and John Lee’s impressive sets the highlight. Overall, plenty of good things on show, with better things yet to come.
3/5 stars
For upcoming productions, see www.HysteriaTeatar.com
