Better, brighter and bolder Fringe Festival takes Dublin city to new heights
Opera-ating flash mobs, a giant test tube filled with water and a man, world class Bouffon clown and a giant ‘f’ are among the weird and wonderful events set to explode onto Dublin’s streets this September
Dublin Fringe Festival | Sep 6 -21, 2008 | www.fringefest.com
16-days & nights of envelope-pushing performing arts & music
Get kidnapped. Be paranoid. Savour unexpected, magic moments. A giant man-filled test tube, pimped-up secret Dublin gardens, contortionists, acrobats and a JCB Digger ballet are among those ripping up and rebuilding Dublin city this September as part of the 14th annual Dublin Fringe Festival.
This annually anticipated, ram-packed line-up of contemporary performing arts mixes up more music, including the world renowned Spiegeltent, a gorgeous tent of mirrors, which this year will be located at the intimate and magical Iveagh Gardens and renamed for 2008 as the Hennessy Spiegeltent, which will sit happily alongside a brand new venue and younger sister tent, The Bosco Tent in its own ‘Secret Garden’.
Attracting 12 participating countries from around the globe spanning four continents to showcase their cutting edge performance art, audiences will get to experience the likes of Ireland’s first flash mob opera, comedian Tommy Tiernan directing his cousins Niamh and Eleanor in the show Help! and a new play by Patrick McCabe [Breakfast on Pluto]. There will be 20 premieres of new Irish plays and 6 rehearsed readings, including a play written by an Irish prison inmate about a prison-break called Thicker Than Water, a show with just 3 tickets on offer called Paranoid, where the highest bidder gets the ticket and an opportunity to attend a show in the smallest auditorium in the world on South King Street.
This year’s Fringe brings the biggest and boldest music line up in Fringe Festival history, all resonating spectacularly from the new Hennessy Spiegeltent, with acts from The Fall and The Sugar Hill Gang, in addition to Camille, who is back for another wonderful night of music with friends and some cats. Among the wonderful gems at this year’s Fringe Festival, you’ll find a good game of hide-and-seek to help rediscover our city, a robot’s talent show, superheroes and supervillains facing extinction in Neil Watkins play The Darkroom, X-factor ‘Fringe style’, plus the biggest sell-out shows from around the world.
Returning to the festival are some old favourites from last year after their sell out show La Clique; world renowned contortionist, Captain Frodo and sexy water-acrobats by David O’Mer come back to Dublin to a new improved home, the Hennessy Spiegeltent. Mix this sell-out sexy show together with some pimped-up artworks from Will St Leger and an all dancing, all gay son and mother cooking up a buffet a la mode, and you’ve got the most penetrating creative period in Dublin’s event calendar.
For 16 days and nights the Fringe Festival offers, live music gigs and performances with 130 companies (110 shows) spanning theatre, dance, music, live and visual arts in 36 venues across Dublin including 4 art galleries, a crypt, a warehouse, a disused school in Ballymun, a hotel room and a gay bar. The 2008 Dublin Fringe Festival is a full-on non-discriminative, immersive arts experience that will leave you coming back for much much more.
Coming up in Fringe 2008 :: Highlights at this year's festival:
A selection of the 130 shows in this years Festival comprising theatre, music, dance, live & visual arts and outdoor events includes:
THE SECRET GARDEN
Hennessy Spiegeltent *highlight
La Clique :: presented by Spiegeltent International Productions | Hennessy Spiegeltent | 5-21 Sep (no show on 14th Sep)
After its sell out run at last year’s Fringe the global phenomenon arrives back in town with some brilliant new acts intent on seducing us all over again. Concocting an inspired melange of cabaret, burlesque, circus and contemporary vaudeville, La Clique is exotic, erotic, mesmerising and breath-stoppingly skilled. Celebrate the sensuality and unadulterated pleasure of a night in the world’s most exquisite salon. Be quick, this will sell out early!
Bosco Tent
Red Bastard :: performed by Eric Davis | Bosco Tent (The Secret Garden, Iveagh Gardens) | 16-21 Sep | 8.30pm
America’s premiere Bouffon (think grotesque Anti-Clown) and now Ireland’s, Eric Davis will surely have one of the best costumes at the festival this year. Davis is Cirque Du Soleil's lead Clown in Quidam and Director of the NY Clown Theatre Festival. He will turn your world upside down, so fasten your seatbelts and prepare for a rampage on Dublin, pop culture, politics...and you, the audience.
“One of the hottest, funniest performance artists on the scene today” -Backstage.
“Very, very funny” -NY Times.
THEATRE
Grasping The Floor With The Back Of My Head :: Mute Comp. Physical Theatre | Project Upstairs | 15-17 Sep (no evening show on the 17th) | 9.15pm [Matinee at 4pm]
Twenty two scenes, using twenty two instruments, examine humankind’s ability to make endless obstructions for himself. The mythology of Tarot inspires this frenetic, twisting, writhing tour de force of movement. Accompanied by live music from the band Valravn and featuring an elf from Norway. Wild and wonderful.
Love 2.0 :: thisispopbaby in association with the Abbey Theatre | Project Cube | 15-20 Sep | 6.15pm [Matinee 20 Sep at 3pm]
Sex. Money. Power. Reputation. thisispopbaby present two new short plays by two of Ireland's most exciting emerging writers. Commissioned by The Abbey Theatre as part of their 20:LOVE season, Two Houses by Belinda McKeon and Investment Potential by Phillip McMahon tackle the thorny theme of love in modern Ireland. Directed by Deirdre Molloy.
Moonflight :: schindelkilliusdutschke | Samuel Beckett Theatre | 16-21 Sep | 8.15pm [Matinee 9 Sep at 4.15pm]
Expect the unexpected in a delightful celebration of all things lunar from this Berlin based trio of musicians and actors. Surreal space travel episodes, circular theory formations, fresh comedy and a brilliant mash-up of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata with a famous German lullaby combine to make this show a festival highlight.
MUSIC – Hennessy Spiegeltent
Sugarhill Gang :: Presented by Choice Cuts | Hennessy Spiegeltent | 14-Sep | 9.30pm
Dance to the beat of the original Hip Hop & Funk group who’ve had generations hip hoppin’ with their ubiquitous ‘Rapper’s Delight’, 'Apache' & '8th Wonder' anthems. True pioneers, the Sugar Hill Gang have influenced the top showmen of today’s scene including Kanye West & Jay-Z. Exclusive to the Dublin Fringe Festival, SHG will be performing their 30th year anniversary party concert complete with a live band.
Wilde On :: Presented by Hum Ireland & Aiken Promotions | 17-Sep | Hennessy Spiegeltent | 9.30pm
Leading Irish musical and visual artists alongside Wilde aficionados present new, unheard and unseen work for a specially conceived, multimedia celebration of Oscar Wilde. The line-up includes Cathy Davey, The Jimmy Cake, Rhob Cunningham, Karl Him, DJ Morgan, the Pony Club, Republic of Loose and David Turpin.
An Evening with Fujiya & Miyagi :: Presented by Steo da Cat | Hennessy Spiegeltent 20-Sep | 9.30pm
This infectious deep soul Brighton electronic dance trio curate their own unique party night. With wafts of early Human League synth and the throbbing groove of Tom Tom Club, all moulded for modern times. New York duo Project Jenny and Project Jan create pop infused rock pummeled with dance beats. Keeping the grooves on is DJ Will Dempsey with cosmic disco, 80s new wave, krautrock, italo and boogie jams. Get down!
DANCE
Day of Dance :: Dublin Fringe Festival in association with Dance Ireland | Dance House | 07 Sep | 12 Noon
Join us in celebration of the moving body in this packed-with-activity day of dance. New dance works from Irish and international choreographers, including screenings of dance films, followed by facilitated post-discussion with the creators; or just dance yourself into oblivion in the contact improvisation dance jam.
Drinking Dust :: Junk Ensemble | The Crypt, SS Michael & John | 8-13 Sep; 15-20 Sep | 8.30pm
Junk Ensemble (Winner of the Jayne Snow Award 2007) presents this phenomenal site-specific dance theatre piece in collaboration with Brokentalkers (Winner Fringe Sexiest show 2006) that looks at abandonment in our life and city.
Susan & Darren :: by Quarantine Productions | Smock Alley | 15-19 Sep | 8pm (workshop starts at 7pm) | Matinee 18 Sep 1pm (workshop starts at 12pm)
Help Susan (58, cleaner with no performance experience) and her son Darren (28, dancer) prepare another infamous party. Expect devastation, intimate conversation and a lovely buffet as friends and neighbours pop round. Before each performance Darren will lead a free, ticketed dance workshop (all ages/levels of dance experience welcome) which will alter the course of that night’s show.
Dance Double Bill :: Scottish Dance Exchange presented by Dancebase | Project Upstairs | 8-10 Sep | 9.15pm
Award winning Scottish Choreographer Colette Sadler brings us on sensory journey in and out of reality using trickery. This double bill continues with a solo work by Claire Cunningham where crutches entwined with rope form a mobile structure explaining her true reality.
VISUAL ART
Antics Rogue Show :: Will St. Leger | The Hive | 12-14 Sep | 6.30pm
This anarchic art show where a crew of street artists will rework your boring suburban paintings into urban masterpieces. Dust off your crappy supermarket canvases, get those old landscapes and vases out of the loft and let us pimp your art! Creator Will St Leger is the Winner of the Fringe Special Award for last year's Art Raid.
ArtBots :: Curated by Douglas Repett | Science Gallery | 19-21 Sep | 12pm | Free
Where do robots and art merge? ArtBots: The Robot Talent Show, a three-day international exhibition of robotic art and art-making robots. Now in its fifth year (second time in Ireland), ArtBots is a hands-on show, where you get to meet the robots and talk to their makers. Check out the robot talent at www.sciencegallery.com.
OUTDOOR
Bastien and Bastienne :: Opera Theatre Company | St Patrick’s Cathedral Park | 12 Sep | 5.15pm | FREE
Ireland has never had a flash mob opera before – until today. Crash the party and sing along as one of the country’s most celebrated, dynamic and entertaining opera ensembles present this quirky one act songspiel by Mozart, against the stunning backdrop of St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
Equilibre :: Dublin Fringe Festival & Dublin Docklands Development Authority | Grand Canal Square | 12 Sep at 1pm & 6pm | 13 Sep at 3pm | FREE
A trio of fantastic French physical theatre pieces exploring tension:
The Dublin Fringe Festival runs from September 6 – 21. Book online at www.fringefest.com or 1850 FRINGE (1850 374 643) from August 14th