30 hours for Waterford Youth arts - The breakdown
It was one of things that could be either be fantastic or disastrous but for such a reasonable ticket price I was willing to take a chance on it. I do like trying new things ( to an extent) plus it was for a really good cause. A lot of people signed on last minute and the more familiar faces I saw joining the ensemble, the more excited I was about the night that lay ahead. I have been blown away many times by the sheer amount of talent that Waterford holds and I had a feeling this night was going to be no exception.
Now due to the cold and me being a bit careless with my handbag, I seem to have mislaid my copy of the program which unfortunately means I am bound to call someone by the wrong name or forget something great that I witnessed last night so I hope you will forgive me in advance.
The show was broken up nicely with each play having a musician or other performance on either side of it which both kept it interesting and allowed the crew to set up for the next show. Considering the last minute nature of the whole thing it was actually done fantastically well which I think stands a credit to everyone involved. I have a distinct feeling that if I try to go through the show as it happened I will leave out something crucial so instead I will go over some of the highlights for me.
30 hours was opened by Newfoundland playing a mix of traditional music, all beautifully done but two of the members used to be in a band called Northern Soul and I much preferred when they played that sort of music, I could have sat and listened to it all day and I live in quiet hope of them reforming under that name (however unlikely that may be)
The first play we saw was one about a group of Waterford women making illegal cigarettes ( it was set a point in the future where regular cigarettes were banned) on the quiet and the story was really about the dialogue between the women, there were several laugh out loud moments and I am sure everyone in the audience probably saw a character they knew among them.
There was also fantastic performances from both Lorcan Reidy and Kevin Power who took the stage between performances, each singing a song they had written themselves and I think it's great that this small city holds such great musical talent.
We also saw a movement piece incorporating interpretive dance that had a beautiful flow to it plus a small element of comedy. I think that one was called and so it is...
There was a play about a botched kidnapping that amused and intrigued me, it felt as though given more time there would be more to that story and I would be first in line to see it. With very little referral to the script they had only been given hours to memorize I was impressed by the show they put on.
One of my absolute favourites was a piece called Storykeepers about a group of people who had died and found themselves in purgatory in the form of a library and to pass the time they acted out their favourite stories, Ollie Breslin stuck out particularly for me in this piece as he had tears of laughter rolling down my face with his interpretation of the wolf in little red riding hood.
The last play we saw before the interval was antiques roadshow set 35 years into the future where a group of strangers was trying to pedal artefacts ranging from a piece of Waterford crystal to a comb belong to Chris Doran. It was a mix of humor and satire and was very cleverly done. Ema Lemon's character made me laugh the most, I have seen her in a few plays now and continue to be impressed by her performances.
After that we had a break and came back to more fantastic performances. When Hugo O'Donovan came on, I had been hoping he would sing his rendition of blurred lines like he had at Central Arts Open mic earlier this month but otherwise I couldn't fault him on his performance.
The only film shown was called shelter and was a touching look into the life of homeless man in Waterford city and it was wonderfully done, the actor could have been portraying any of a number of familiar faces we see on our streets daily. I have to say I felt a bit tearful at the end, it was well thought out film and credit to the actor who played the homeless man as he did an incredibly convincing job.
The plays in the second half were interspersed with comedy and poetry and a beautiful sean os song in Irish.
We then saw a touching play about the Magdalene Laundries which looked at it from the mother's side and that of the children they were forced to give up.
The play that followed was somewhat lighter, a girl recounting her life story with all of its ups and downs.And it included some fantastic performances plus the wonderful vocals of Lorcan. I like how they juxtaposed the darker and lighter moments of her life.
The final play of the night was a hilarious piece set in a church and was about a young couple looking to be married and their interactions with two priests worthy of Father Ted. This was absolutely brilliant and of all the plays this is the one I would most like to see more of.
The last piece of the night was part dance, part physical comedy and showed in fairly accurate terms the scene that unfolds in many an Irish night club every Saturday night, only their dancing was a lot more graceful. I liked how it told a story and was both funny and incredibly relevant to our times.
I left in awe of everyone involved and delighted with how I spent my Saturday night. I think other fundraisers could do with taking a leaf out of Waterford Youth Arts book.
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