Ireland's young critics tackle the Dublin Theatre Festival

Young Critics is one of Youth Theatre Ireland's longest-running and most innovative programmes.

It's open to youth theatre members nationwide who are interested in watching theatre, discovering how and why theatre is made, and learning how to critically discuss, analyse, and review this work.

Below, a trio of young critics review productions from this year's Dublin Theatre Festival.

The Agreement reviewed by Alisha McGarrity, M.A.D. Youth Theatre, Co. Louth

Can a play explore a story that combines comedy and a complex real-life event? Owen McCafferty attempts to do this in The Agreement, directed by Charlotte Westenra.

The play explores the days leading up to the Good Friday Agreement in 1998 through a series of dialogues between the characters and asides to the audience.

It develops the audience's understanding of the emotions and difficult discussions needed at this time through the satirical performances of the personalities involved.

The set consists of 6 tables and 6 office chairs, all of which are on wheels and are moved across the stage at various points across the production. This adds dynamics to a play that could very easily have been quite static, as it is essentially 6 people in a room fighting over what needs to be included in this agreement.

This movement of this show, directed by Dylan Quinn, really added to this show and made it more visually enjoyable. Another aspect of the set that added dimension to this piece was the digital screen in the background, which was used to show the bleak and grey weather outside. The screen provided the audience with additional context by explaining what Strand One, Strand Two, and Strand Three represented in the agreement. It was also used to portray television screens for when the characters talk to the public. However, my favourite use of the screen was the clocks pictured during the last day of the discussions. The clock showed the time at the start of each new scene following a movement of the table, showing how much they did in so little time.

There was a lot of comedy throughout this piece; some of it comes from exaggerating the characterisation of the people involved and creating characters rather than accurate depictions of their actual characters. One of the funniest moments was when Tony Blair walked in acting as if he were the centre of the universe. Almost every single person in that audience laughed at that moment, as it was the public opinion of his personality created into a character.

There were also several comedic moments showing the exhaustion of the characters; my favourite was a five-minute discussion about how someone wanted to bomb 'Murrayfield, the home of Scottish Rugby’ or the agreement might fall through, but after some discussions and hilarious suggestions it was revealed ‘Maryfield’, the place the Anglo-Irish Agreement was being discussed, had been misheard as Murrayfield. This moment was not only enjoyable to watch, but it also emphasised the exhaustion of the characters and their fear of the agreement failing so close to the end that they were considering bombing Murrayfield. The comedy was well-placed and enjoyable, but it also conveyed a lot of information to the audience, from public perceptions of these characters to the real emotions and desperation these characters were feeling.

This play comes with a strong language warning and may not be to everyone's taste, I believe that it had a purpose and completed that purpose very well. We need to be aware that this agreement was years in the making, with several past attempts failing, and many of the people involved have been fighting for years.

Alongside this, almost all the characters have little to no sleep, and they have been discussing and negotiating for days, so they slowly lose their words till all they have left is to swear. The swearwords used convey so many emotions throughout this piece, from fear to loss to anger and many more. The use of this type of language makes the characters feel so much more human and makes the audience aware of the difficult process they are all experiencing.

While I am not this play's target audience as it is aimed at people who lived through this time and experienced it, as there are several jokes and references that I personally did not understand given the fact that I was not even born until nine years after the agreement was signed. Despite this, it was an enjoyable play for me to go and see, which caused me to learn a lot about the emotional aspects of this time for the people involved and the public view of these players. Despite not being entirely accurate or an educational piece, it broadened my understanding of this time, transforming it from something I learned about on a page to a tangible event for me to understand.

I would 100% recommend this play to anyone who can go and see it, as it is a wonderful fruit of all the cast and crew's labour that is both hilarious and engaging throughout the entire play. The production aspects are phenomenal to watch alongside the acting and performances, which drag you in and make you feel as if you are a fly on the wall for the actual peace talks.

Nobodaddy reviewed by Aidan Entrialgo Bayon, Playacting Youth Theatre, Co. Kildare

Bubbles? Butter? What is Nobodaddy about? Well, it's an explosive experience coming straight from the profound minds of Michael Keegan Dolan and everyone else at Teaċ Daṁsa theatre company.

Nobodaddy is an exciting piece of dance theatre that begins before it begins. With a preset that is filled with mysterious figures, a large box and intriguing techno music, you are left in anticipation for what is about to come. Just as it begins the stage is flooded with more mysterious figures to which a gut-wrenching scene plays out, from then on it’s all twists and turns of dance sequences and scenes that leave all asking for a shred of context.

The frantic nature of the performance left me struggling to comprehend the play as it unfolded, since whenever I tried to make sense of what was going on there would be something new to pique my interest. After a particular heavy and abstract scene characters begin to do line dancing, which added a sense of order amongst all the chaos. Dancing is one of the main components of Nobodaddy which is skilfully interwoven with the sound elements of the play. Throughout the play there is live music that accompanies every dance flawlessly, the only problem is that at times the sound can even be too loud for some people, yet the feeling of the auditorium shaking further immerses you into the experience. This is thanks to Sandra Ní Mhathúna who did the sound design, as well as Jelle Roozenburg who did additional sound design and electronics.

From the moment you lay your eyes on the stage you see an intriguing set design; there is what looks to be a large box with two platforms on either side. Later on in the show the large box greatly aids the performance, and the two platforms are revealed to be mobile as well as hosting musicians on top of them. For me it clarified as to where the musicians where at any point of the play as well as playing an integral part in aiding the dancers act out their scenes. Towards the end the set pieces bring everyone together, to then act as a medium for bubbles to flow through into the auditorium allowing audience members to regress to their childhood and enjoy popping the bubbles; allowing for a truly ethereal ending.

Nobodaddy is an abstract play that relies more on music and physical movement than dialogue, yet one can find meaning just by keeping an open mind. If you wish for a play that leaves you with a lasting impression with food for thought, Nobodaddy is just the play for you.

0800 Cupid reviewed by Lucy Horner, Making Waves Youth Theatre, Co. Wicklow

Not every show can make you laugh and cry all in one, but Emer Dineen and Philip McMahon manage to put this off. It’s hard to put into words how good this show is, but the only one I can think of is indescribable. It’s safe to say that I walked out of this show starstruck, not only by the sheer talent of the performers, but by the lighting (Sarah Jane Shiels), costumes (Lambdog1066) and music (Tom Beech).

Even with these components, I feel that this show is slightly more targeted towards younger people who can relate to Dineen’s situation: a young woman in her 20s, freshly out of the Covid lockdown, seeking help dealing with isolation, loneliness and loss while her life takes many twists and turns.

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However, with that said, I do feel that this show does have something for everyone who lived through the pandemic, so I think everyone can find some relatability in Dineen’s piece, whether it be dealing with grief, navigating relationships or tripping out on magic mushrooms, this musical really hits home for many people, including myself.

Dineen is the star of this production but I must mention her incredible co-performers Carl Harrison and Isabel Adomakoh Young, who elevate the performance in their own ways, rapidly changing from character to character in a matter of seconds while displaying their insane talents in acting, singing and dance. Along with Dineen, they help to create the laughter and the tears that tugs the heartstrings of the audience.

Even though this is Dineen’s story and show, it is clear that this is a collaborative piece with Dineen working with Tom Beech to create these astonishing songs and director Philip McMahon to make this spectacular show.

Overall, what makes this show so perplexing is Dineen’s capability to be vulnerable and to speak to the audience in many different ways by relating to her own crazy experiences. This musical is truly a must-watch.

Find out more about Youth Theatre Ireland's Young Critics Programme here.

Young Critics pics: Alan King.