It might not have the prestige of its Edinburgh counterpart yet, but Dublin can look forward to a very exciting, varied selection of art, dance, theatre, music, video, spoken word and much more when its Fringe Festival kicks off tomorrow (5th of September).
There are far, far too many events planned over a busy two-and-a-half weeks for us to mention them all, so we’ll direct you to the festival website for full details. Here are some offerings that have particularly piqued our interest, though:
Thirteen Citizen X
A performance that takes place (at least partially) on the LUAS between Jervis Street and The Point? That’s the intriguingly ambiguous description for Thirteen Citizen X. Equipping participants with an MP3 ‘soundscape’, ANU Productions promise audiences will be able to “immerse themselves in the tumultuous events of 1913 as they unfold in present day Dublin”. We have no idea how that will work exactly, but we’re very curious to find out. It’s happening twice every evening (at 8:15 and 9:15 PM) between Monday 9th and Saturday 21st.
More details available here.
Labyrinth / Fused
It’s encouraging to see gaming get a significant look-in at the festival this year, suggesting interactivity might be on the way to wider artistic acceptance. Of the five ‘gaming’ events, we’re particularly intrigued by Labyrinth (a first-person survival horror experience by Conor Lonergan, taking place in Windmill Lane) and Fused (a theatre and gaming hybrid from Dan Bergin at the Lir Academy).
Chaosmos
Another performance using the city itself as a stage, Chaosmos from Macnas takes place “in promenade”. The Galway-based street theatre company promises to “[conjure] up a magical feast of the senses in this walkabout boutique street show with a mysterious troupe who play, discover and recover the elixir of life”. And whatever a “curious insect on a penny farthing” is. There’ll be two performances of the free city jaunt on Sunday 15th, although tickets need to be booked in advance.
More details available here.
David O’Doherty Will Try to Fix Everything
Back from Edinburgh and following a headlining slot in Electric Picnic’s comedy tent, the musical comedian will be performing his latest show at the Project Arts Centre. If you’re a fan, you’ll need no persuasion, but if you’re unfamiliar with O’Doherty’s work rest assured he’s one of Ireland’s brightest comedic talents. There’ll be a week straight of O’Doherty performances, from the 15th to the 21st, with an extra matinee on the last day (Saturday).
More details available here.
Aisling Bea / James Walmsley - C'est La Bea / Don't Swim With Killer Whales
A double bill here, with two of the most exciting up-and-coming comedians joining up to offer their latest shows at Smock Alley Theatre. Bea won 2012's So You Think You're Funny? competition, while the latter has won plaudits as the frontman of musical comedy act Dead Cat Bounce.
Full details here, and make sure to check out the interview with Aisling Bea in this month's Newstalk iPad magazine.
Beowulf: The Blockbuster!
And what would a Fringe preview be without mentioning some more traditional theatre. Well, Beowulf: The Blockbuster! doesn't actually sound particularly ordinary: Bryan Burroughs one man show promises a reinvention of the iconic tale featuring "bullet time explosions, Spielbergian monsters, John Williams theme tunes and the original superhero". Some of that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but it sounds like a comic treat nonetheless. Burroughs will be peforming at Bewley's Cafe Theatre on the 9th, 11th, 13th, 14th and 20th, and tickets are €12 (€9 for the preview on the 9th).
More details available here.
Le Galaxie in 3D
Electronic music masters Le Galaxie have become a mini-sensation in Ireland on the back of several stellar festival appearances. Now they’re bringing an extra dimension to take their popular live show to the next level. Yes, the band will be following in the steps of Kraftwerk and bringing a special 3D visual accompaniment with them for their Meeting House Square performance on Saturday 14th. Tickets are €15.
More details available here.
(Photos: Dublin Fringe / Main image: Chaosmos)
