Plus So. Much. Queuing. and So. Many. Flying Ants. Ok that's hardly the festival's fault but generally I'm sick of the downsides of festival life--the queuing, the greasy food, the wailing kids...ready to curl up somewhere quiet with a book now thank you.
Saying that, I really enjoyed this year's Galway Arts Festival. I was in Galway for 10 days of it and managed to get to a good range of shows across the spectrum: theatre, comedy, music, street theatre and the annual Macnas Parade.
The festival street theatre (as opposed to random buskers and performers of which there was as usual millions) was minimal - just two acts: Tumble Circus and Bruce Airhead. Both are acts I've seen before in either the Spiegeltent or Street Performance World Championships but both acts are superb and stand up to rewatching. The weather proved abysmal for most of the scheduled performance days which was unfortunate but both acts soldiered on and attracted large crowds when the rain went away.
The Parade was particularly good this year displaying Macnas' capacity for big imagination on a small budget. The title/theme was 'The Wild Hunt' featuring a boy and his pursuit of various wild and fantastical creatures through the streets. A minotaur hinted at Picasso, crows at Ted Hughes and a wolf referenced Blake and Angela Carter. To me the aesthetic was beautifully designed and realised. These pictures hardly do it justice.
The organisers were blessed with a sunny day and a massive crowd turned out to embrace the carnival atmosphere and witness the unmissable spectacle that the Macnas parade has become. The performers seemed really energised and engaged with the crowd non-stop as the parade wound its way from the Spanish Arch to the Cathedral. It was amusing to hear that Peter Crawley, theatre critic for the Irish Times was a participant and he notes his experiences here. Augusto Boal said: anyone can do theatre, Even actors. And theatre can be done everywhere. Even in a theatre. Turns out anyone can be in a Macnas Parade. Even theatre critics.
Other shows that stood out for me included Corn Exchange's Freefall, Tusk Tusk by GYT and Badly Drawn Boy at the Radisson. Freefall was a terrific piece of theatre depicting a man undergoing a stroke and flashbacks throughout his life performed by an excellent cast. Tusk Tusk confirms that GYT are managing to consistently deliver high quality theatre from the mouths of babes (ok teenagers) every year at the Arts Festival. This show dealt with the dark experience of three children who've been abandoned by their mother. All the actors showed raw talent but without doubt the seven-year old child actor was the one to steal the hearts of everyone in the audience. The pure joy of pure acting was clear in his face and a barefoot kid without his mammy is about the most sympathetic character you can create!
Badly Drawn Boy proved entertaining mostly because of Damon Gough's self-deprecating tone which would endear anyone to an Irish crowd. Either the song was shit, a line was shit or he was 'shit at performing'. Mancunian self-deprecation to the last. He chatted and told stories to the crowd throughout his show (a trait I adore in a performer) even sharing his addiction to iPhone app 'Doodle Jump'. He's been out of the loop for a while and is planning to release a new album in October and I for one welcome him back - had forgotten how much I love his voice and songs.
My one comedy show was Maeve Higgins at the King's Head Ruby Room for Gerry Mallon's Laughter Lunchtime series. She wasn't at her absolute best but even Maeve Higgins at her worst is a hell of lot funnier than most other comedians out there. Highlights include her tale of being locked out of the house on a wintry morning and tales from her slightly overweight childhood past. She's got an immensely charismatic and friendly presence - you really want to go have coffee with her afterwards.
I was excited to see Rodrigo y Gabriela in concert finally and was suitably impressed by their ferociously fast fingers and geetar stylings. It's hard to stay engaged with an evening of music which involves no lyrics, however, and I definitely think that it would be a better experience to see them in a small indoor venue rather than in a tent in a muddy field (very muddy as it happened--rain tipped down for most of their show). Man I'm starting to sound like a geriatric crank - what's wrong with wanting a little comfort?!
As for the shows I didn't love... well you should know who you are for the most part. Uncle Vanya by the Bristol Vic was a great production but Chekov type theatre will never be for me. The Grippe Girls by Electric Bridget needs a lot more polishing and focus before it fulfills it's theatrical potential. Finally I probably would have enjoyed Druid's Penelope a lot more if it hadn't been wildly overhyped by the festival.
It's a very literary/wordy piece of theatre by Enda Walsh with lengthy monologues where their should be some climactic action. It's a very good production, cast, set and direction-wise, so credit is due to Druid for maintaining their high standards but I don't think Penelope as a play compares with The Walworth Farce. Maybe it's harsh to criticise a playwright for not being able to compete with their own earlier work but it still didn't deserve the arse-licking it got at the hands of the Galway Arts community. You are allowed to criticise stuff in the festival people!
And that's it for me and festivals for a while. August sees me hitting the road to California and Italy for some serious sunshine...5 days after I'm back from hols I'll be back to the classroom. Boy does the summer go fast.
Keep it festive folks ;)
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