Permission Granted review: A transportive hour with a universal message

Permission Granted

Chapel Royal, Dublin Castle

★★★☆☆

“What is holding you back creatively?” is the question posed by the musicians Abigail Smith and Lioba Petrie, who over the course of an hour endeavour to create a space for reflection, surely aided by the environment we are in, the evocative Chapel Royal at Dublin Castle.

The sounds of nature and birdsong swirl around the room, rooting us in a peaceful atmosphere before Petrie and Smith take to the stage. Weaving in flute, violin, cello and xylophone, their meditative compositions, with influences of classical, folk and traditional, encourage us to “relax” and “breathe”, which might sound like simple commands but can actually be hard to achieve in this overstimulating world. Intentions are read from the audience (we are encouraged to write something down before the show) about what we would give ourselves permission to do – “needs to be met”, “to put myself first”, “to listen”, “to love” – which, combined with Petrie and Smith’s benevolent presence, brings a sense of unity.

This hour also brings us back to something fundamental, which is to try to think more clearly. Permission Granted sometimes has a slightly wonky tone, as in a glitchy trip-hop element, but overall it genuinely transports, and while the Chapel Royal is an incredible backdrop, the message is so universal that this show could work anywhere.

Continues at the Chapel Royal, as part of Dublin Fringe Festival, until Sunday, September 17th