Sitting in the sunny upstairs of Kaph, surrounded by writers on MacBooks and artists discussing plans, are Luke Casserly and Fenna Von Hirschheydt, the directors of the Dublin Fringe show Efficacy 84. Recent drama graduates of Trinity, they represent a new generation of young theatre makers, eager to ambitiously make their mark and challenge how we do theatre as a nation. The Fringe Booklet describes Efficacy 84 as “controversial”. Certainly it’s easy to see how a piece about the Kerry Babies Scandal of 1984, a story of a woman being accused of having murdered a baby that was swept up on a beach in Cahersiveen could cause a stir. It has a wealth of opportunity to comment on the current state of Women’s reproductive rights in Ireland in 2017. Casserly eagerly points out that this case was by no means isolated, highlighting the cases of schoolgirl Anne Lovett who died giving birth by a grotto and Eileen Flynn who was fired for her extra-marital affair. Ireland’s past is seemingly bathed in scandal, and it’s a testament to the courage and ambition of Casserly and Von Hirschheydt that with their first professional show, they are already grappling with the truth of this national trauma.
Efficacy 84 is a collaborative show that was born from an advanced devising project which Casserly worked on in his final year within the Department of Drama in Trinity College. The small ensemble of largely Trinity students involved with Efficacy 84 present their own playful interpretations of this atrocity in this show with stylised, bare movement and speech, inspired by the minimal German design of Bert Neumann. While also researching a dissertation on the aesthetics of trauma, Casserly excitedly explains that while looking at many different cases, it was the “unconcluded material” that drew him to this particular story. With this in mind, Efficacy 84 is not a show which aims to dramatise the event. It simply acknowledges its failure to come any closer to the truth. Taking place as part of the Dublin Fringe, this project embodies bold ambition in its stance of asking and not telling. With a national psyche so entrenched in atrocity, Swiss native Von Hirschheydt confidently argues that that the “special thing about this play is that we’re not reenacting this, we’re not playing detectives”. Yes, this is a play about the Kerry Babies of 1984. However, this is not a documentary piece but rather “an interrogation of facts in general [and of] the suitability of theatre to present such a case”, Von Hirschheydt explains.
It’s important to keep in mind that Efficacy 84 is forged by many voices. In order to place such an unconcluded, disjointed and traumatic story on stage, Casserly admits that rather than just having his own writing involved, it’s much more effective to “find as many different perspectives as possible”. This is a play of splintered views and opinions. It might seem unusual to attempt to dramatise a traumatic narrative and not come any closer to a resolution by the bow. That indeed is exactly the point. No answers are provided. Instead Casserly encourages each question to be heard. It demands of the audience to not become emotionally involved in the story. Casserly aims for a much more intellectual appreciation of the past events. He laughs when he admits that he doesn’t “want to say it’s cold but it’s removed”.
Surprisingly, Casserly states with no doubt that this is not a piece with political motivation. Links to the current social and political environment are interesting and inevitable. Must the performance be in line with a political motivation? Casserly shakes his head and tells me that such a heavy handed approach to theatre leaves him skeptical. “We don’t go to the theatre to read something we could read in a newspaper … We go to be entertained”, he confidently says. I certainly can relate to squirming at a piece which seems to be shouting what to think. However, Von Hirschheydt frowns: “A play needs to be relevant … In order to be relevant, it probably is political.” Efficacy 84 might stay clear of any overt political message but its stripped back and abstract style is in itself a political aesthetic. This aims to provide viewers with the space to bring their own conclusion and politics to the space. Unlike many other productions which deal with tragic events, Efficacy 84 refuses to wallow in its own misery. There’s a sense that Casserly slyly knows exactly what he’s saying by avoiding a political stance.
Efficacy 84 is a show that invites you to take a step back and become acutely aware that you are watching nothing but different perspectives on a traumatic case with no conclusion. It seems while speaking to Casserly that the post dramatic nature of the show is in part an experiment which seems very suitable for the fringe. Casserly seems happy to admit when he doesn’t know something. The show admits it doesn’t know the truth. It admits it has failed to form a conclusion. To lie when representing trauma does seem disturbingly insensitive. Efficacy 84 is brave because it challenges whether it’s even appropriate to dramatise and reenact tragedy. Instead the actors and their inherently human flaws are exposed without shame. What you take from that is completely up to you.
Efficacy 84 will be staged in Smock Alley Theatre from September 20th – 23rd. More information and tickets available on the Fringe Festival Website.
