Hosted by Smock Alley Theatre, Scene + Heard is a festival showcasing bold and dazzling work by creatives from all around Ireland. Most of the performances are coupled into one hour blocks meaning that one purchased ticket will give you access to two different shows. Created by both established and rising theatremakers, performances vary in themes and styles, from stand-up comedy to immersive experiences. The festival takes place in person from February 9th – 26th, providing audiences with three weeks of inventive and charming theatre. Having perused the programme with over a hundred shows, The University Times has compiled some of the most curious ones for you to gear up for.
Atlantis Under Sand | Kinder-Egg Spirits
Atlantis Under Sand is an exploration of the artist’s role in an environment that flourishes culturally yet neglects the makers of that culture. On a greater level, the show addresses the urban life experience of a suppressed and disregarded individual. Atlantis Under Sand is presented in the form of a poetic monologue and is written and performed by Alanna D. Merriman.
Directed by Nessa Matthews, Kinder-Egg Spirits is a show reflecting on an allegedly light-hearted conversation between two people. The Lir Academy graduate Hazel Clifford and actor and writer Finbarr Doyle play characters who, with a few pints and a couple of smokes, contemplate their lives, “talking shit until shit gets real” as stated in the show’s description.
Atlantis Under Sand | Kinder-Egg Spirits runs from February 22nd – 23rd at 8:30pm. Tickets are €17.
You’ll Know When It’s Time
You’ll Know When It’s Time is a performance made by the audience. The show has been created by a trio of remarkable artists who have previously collaborated on a production for Scene + Heard 2020. It is co-directed by Liza Cox and Alex Herring, the former of whom is also performing on stage alongside Jo Feijó, an interdisciplinary creative from Portugal. You’ll Know When It’s Time turns the audience into the puppet master. You are the one to pull the strings and guide the performance, creating a unique and unrepeatable show. Featuring an intimate dialogue between the audience, dancers and music, the production promises to be a highlight of the festival.
You’ll Know When It’s Time runs on February 17th at 8:30pm. Tickets are €17.
Two Hundred Deer to Every Lion | freddo bars and cigars
Two Hundred Deer to Every Lion is a theatre performance that considers the history of the well-known and beloved Phoenix Park. This unique fantastical show examines everything from bird migrations to Joyce’s ‘Finnegans Wake’, presenting an “(un)real” history of Dublin’s largest green space.
Having travelled to the past, the audience will be taken right into the future with Riain Condon’s freddo bars and cigars. The DEAD CUTE theatre company’s stylish debut engages with the passage of time and wonders how we can carry on from this moment.
Two Hundred Deer to Every Lion | freddo bars and cigars runs from February 15th – 16th at 8:30pm. Tickets are €17.
Sex & Sculpture
Written and directed by Samuel Clarke, Sex & Sculpture is a 45-minute show which narrates a story about the romance between an academic Simon Paris and his office colleague. Following the main character, this absurdist and eccentric piece of theatre will find an explanation for Simon’s weird behaviour. Sex & Sculpture is created by the Birmingham-based Square Eye Theatre company. The company creates visceral performances with a political edge, which often also includes physical theatre and live music. Billed as “the sauciest soirée this Spring”, Sex & Sculpture is not to be missed.
Sex & Sculpture runs on February 20th, 6:30pm. Tickets are €17.
REDEMPTION | Failed By Design
Combining improvised music, visual imagery and theatre, REDEMPTION falls into the category of performance art and music. It is created and delivered by Greg Clifford, a Dublin-based independent musician and interdisciplinary artist. His style is a synthesis of alternative rock, pop, classical and folk guitar, with a touch of electronic elements. The cacophonous soundscapes of REDEMPTION take the audience on a journey of existential distress, exploring the flawed nature of human beings and posing a question yet unresolved: How does one reach salvation?
To lighten (or perhaps, to enhance) the effect of Clifford’s show, it is followed by an improvised stand-up comedy titled Failed By Design. Written and performed by Allie O’Rourke and Cian Jordan, Failed By Design digs into the detritus of modern life before designing for us a perfect solution.
REDEMPTION | Failed By Design runs on February 13th at 8pm. Tickets are €17.
