Almost every year since 1957 The city of Dublin Ireland has celebrated the Dublin Theatre Festival. It brings together artists and filmmakers from everywhere to celebrate in an 18 day festival. “The spirit of the festival lies in the people who engage with us as dedicated friends or curious spectators, and we welcome and value the participation of all our artists, audiences and guests.” Theatre Festival Website
Performances take place in different venues all over the city throughout the festival. The Champlain Abroad Dublin program had a small group of students attend Wunderkammer on Friday evening at Gaiety Theatre. Described as “a sexy new cocktail of circus and burlesque, full of energy, passion and emotion” the students anxiously awaited to see what the show would bring.
We got to Gaiety theatre, in my mind I thought wow what a gorgeous theatre. After finding our seats, getting comfortable and chatting a little, the six of us sat back as the lights went down. The show started off with six standing lights upstage, one woman facing away from us upstage right, and another woman facing away from the audience downstage left. The downstage woman proceeded to lift a hula hoop up to her hand (which was above her head) with nothing but her toe. She did a whole routine with a hula hoop to a classical music song. Immediately I was impressed and knew we were in for an amazing show.
The acrobats truly knew how to entertain a crowd. Each song brought on a new act and a different skill. From a pole to walk up and swing on, a hula hoop extravaganza (over 16 hula hoops on one person), and even an acrobat swing. The muscles and skills these seven performers had were so incredible they made everything they did look effortless. Hanging on a pole with nothing but a flex of their toes, one person laying on the floor and as someone stands on their feet they lift them up into the air just by standing up themselves, one person holding two people up on their shoulders, then later having two people hanging off of them as well, even just swinging one person around from person to person by their arms and legs, or jump roping a person rather than a rope.
It wasn’t just a performance it was a beautiful form of art, the way the actor’s moved their bodies, and how each movement was precise, even just a twitch of a finger, the choreography was beautiful and so thoughtful it is easy to see why this show is part of the Theatre Festival.
By the end of the show all of the seven performers were doing something different on stage and every way you looked your eyes couldn’t believe what they were seeing.
Student Shane Connor’s said the show was “stunning, sexy and succulent” Liam Callaghan called it “spectacular” and Anna Forsythe said “it was very entertaining and a great Friday night!”
It was truly an amazing show and words just can’t do it justice. I highly suggest everyone see it before it is too late.
-Teagan Bokanovich
Champlain Abroad Dublin, Fall 2013
Champlain College class of 2015 – Communications Major