Dublintellectual - Conversations on Culture

Dublintellectual are holding another of their Conversations on Culture events in the Ormond Wine Bar on Ormond Quay on Wednesday 1st February at 8 pm. As usual there'll be three speakers, and their subjects this time will be the composition of contemporary music, art in a global economy, and Sheela-na-Gigs. The event is free of charge.

I've very much enjoyed previous Dublintellectual events. The combination of a nice wine bar, interesting topics of conversation and the crowd Dublintellectual attracts creates a friendly, sociable atmosphere. It'll be a fun evening.

'I ♥ Alice ♥ I' is back

The play I ♥ Alice ♥ I is back for another run, this time in the Abbey Theatre. I saw it last year in Project Arts Centre as part of the Dublin Theatre Festival and enjoyed it - I'd give it at least 4/5.

Tickets cost from €13 to €25. The play runs from 1st February to 18th February, with previews on 30th and 31st January. The performance time is 55 minutes.

Volta.ie - new Irish video on demand service

Volta.ie is a new Irish online service allowing customers to view Irish and international films, with an emphasis on independent films.

One of the great challenges for independent films is distribution: there are many hopeful filmmakers but not so many distribution deals - or cinemas willing to show their works. On the internet though that sort of capacity problem ceases to apply, potentially allowing new or independent filmmakers the chance to compete on (relatively) even terms. It's a very crowded field - even Sundance are getting in on it - but I think Volta has a real chance to make an impact and help Irish film. Volta will in some cases release films on the same day they appear in cinemas, and they have a deal with RTE for distribution of the channel's dramas. Wisely, Volta have decided to let customers rent or buy individual films without needing to become subscribers; subscription might suit Netflix but it could be unattractive for customers who want to see a specific film but don't plan to watch independent films regularly.

The company behind Volta, Element Pictures, are also responsible for the recent reopening of the Light House Cinema in Smithfield. This is an interesting example of (sort of) verticle integration: make films such as The Guard, distribute them in cinemas, and also distribute them online. It's not an entirely original concept, but so what? For the sake of Irish filmmaking and Irish audiences, I hope they're successful.

Dublin Theatre Festival - campaign designer wanted

This is an important year for the Dublin Theatre Festival, with Loughlin Deegan having moved on to the Lir Academy and a new main sponsor needed to replace Ulster Bank. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Festival is now looking to hire an agency or designer to create their new brochure and 2012 marketing campaign. They want "a new fresh approach; a clear, contemporary message that can be used throughout our print, online and outdoor executions that is crisp, fun and inspiring." Details are on dublintheatrefestival.com.

The Family - "Kitchen Table Chats"

Although I was somewhat critical of The Family (the THEATREclub play currently out in Project Arts Centre) one aspect of the production I'm impressed by is that they're having a series of post-show discussions on issues raised in the play. These "kitchen table chats" are on each evening this week (up to and including Friday). For example the one this evening is called "I think it's time for you to go home now" and is about the effects of addiction on families.

Free winetasting class

The New Zealand Wine Fair Dublin 2012 is on Monday 30th in the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel. One of the attendees is winemaker Jamie Marfell of Brancott Estate, and on the evening after the Wine Fair he'll be hosting a free winetasting masterclass in Odessa Club.

Here's what the helpful press release says:

"On the evening Jamie will be joined by Irish wine expert Jean Smullen who will help him to guide the audience through the wine tasting process. Guests will be treated to a selection of delicious canapés and will have the opportunity to try five wines from the Brancott range; three from the classic range (Brancott Estate Sauvignon Blanc, Brancott Estate Pinot Grigio and Brancott Estate Pinot Noir), one wine from the Letter Series Range, Letter Series B and one of the newest varietals to the range, the sparkling Brancott Estate Sauvignon Blanc Brut NV.

The Brancott Estate wine tasting masterclass hosted by Brancott Estate winemaker Jamie Marfell and Irish wine expert Jean Smullen takes place in Odessa Club on Tuesday 31st January at 7.00pm. Tickets are free and guests can register for spaces by emailing Brancottestateireland@gmail.com with their name, date of birth, contact details and address or they can find out more information through the Brancott Estate Facebook fan page http://www.facebook.com/brancottestateireland. Tickets are allocated on a lottery basis and guests will be notified of attendance by Friday 27th January."

The class will run for about two hours.

Personally I'm quite a fan of New Zealand wine, particularly their Pinot Noir. I also like that they're well ahead of European producers in their use of screwcaps.

Dublin Chinese New Year Carnival

Dublin's Chinese New Year Carnival is on at the moment in Meeting House Square in Temple Bar.

The Dragon, in Irish colours
Heads from some of the other animals

Project Arts / The Family

I said a few days ago in my review of 'The Family' that I'd be posting more... and I will, but it'll be tomorrow instead of today.

In the meantime, I should mention that Project Arts Centre will soon host another visual arts exhibition, following on from the excellent The Last of the Red Wine. It's called Panto Collapsar and the artist, Mikala Dwyer, describes it as "an exploded and bewitched house with a floating roof". The opening night is from 6 pm to 8 pm on Thursday 26th, and the exhibition continues until 31st March.

Dublin City Book Fair

The Dublin City Book Fair is on this Sunday in its usual venue, the Tara Towers Hotel in Blackrock (though I always thought it was in Ballsbridge).  It's sure to be a bibliophile's delight.

Review: The Family

The latest play in Project Arts Centre in Temple Bar is The Family, by THEATREclub. As this is such a distinctive and intricate play I've a lot to say about it, so I'm going to separate my comments into two articles. This first post is a review; the commentary in the second post (on Saturday) won't make much sense until you've seen the play.



Right, so is it any good? Yes, very much so - but I have to warn you that some theatre-goers would hate it. I mean really, truly hate it. The subject matter (the Irish family) is conventional but the style and structure aren't. Anyone looking for an easy-to-follow, linear narrative with clear relationships between characters will be disappointed. Dion Boucicault or Sean O'Casey this most certainly is not.

For those of you who've seen previous THEATREclub plays and liked their style, The Family is strongly recommended. Think HEROIN, but better - and by quite a margin. As with HEROIN the "fourth wall" between the audience and actors is very thin, the relationship between actors and characters is (intentionally) ambiguous, and roles and status are fluid. There's a lot going on, and not just on-stage: THEATREclub have put several short videos on YouTube for this play, and there'll be a series of panel discussions about today's Ireland. This is an impressive and well-performed work of theatre.

A particular highlight of The Family is the combination of music, dialogue and choreography. (More about that in Saturday's post.) The quality of the acting is also praiseworthy - Lauren Larkin and Gerard Kelly in particular have moments of extraordinary authenticity, but all of the cast do well.

Given that it's got such strengths it might seem harsh to say that some patrons might dislike this play. Perhaps so, but even taking into account the play's unorthodox form it just takes too long for the play to grip fully and forcefully the attention of audience. Oh, The Family gets there, and some of the later scenes are superb - but could it get there just a little faster please? In combination with the lack of a story (in the usual sense of the word) the initial pace could turn off the interest of some people.

So it's simple: if you go to the theatre once or twice a year, want to see a play with a conventional narrative, and want to be sure you enjoy it, avoid The Family. If however you're a theatre regular and you want to see something thought-provoking with moments of exceptional acting, then you should definitely see The Family. Some people will love it, some will hate it, and I think THEATREclub can be happy with that.

The Family continues in Project Arts Centre until 28th January 2012. Tickets cost €18/€15. The play runs for 90 minutes.