Real Life
Project Arts Centre, Dublin
★★★★☆
Derek is a panto queen. Derek is glitter. Derek is the star of a one-man show that’s actually a cast of fifteen.
Real Life is the story of his real life, the real lives of his cast members, and the real lives of us all.
Developed with members of Run of the Mill, an ensemble of intellectually disabled artists and theatremakers, it’s a thoroughly unique, ambitious and lively show.
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Written and directed by Aisling Byrne, Real Life creates a platform for intellectually disabled people to tell their stories and express themselves through theatre.
It’s a soap opera, cabaret, and murder-mystery, featuring break dancing, dramatic televised interviews, and clips of EastEnders. There isn’t much of a narrative at all to this show, but that’s the point. The audience is kept on their toes by an animated and engaging cast, twisting and turning through their individual ideas of how the performance should take shape.
While there is no linear storyline to Real Lives, each segment of the show is clearly inspired by the real lives of the cast, intertwined with fantasy, and pop culture moments they adore.
The show has been in development since 2023, and it’s the production company’s first large-scale theatre production.
Real Life is a meaningful attempt at championing the voices of intellectually disabled people, making their lived experiences visible and bringing to life their creative fantasies.
The result is profound, and most importantly, it’s fun. From beginning to end, the audience is either clapping along to a passionate jig, cheering on an enthusiastic drummer, or celebrating the cast supporting each other through faux-tantrums and even a marriage proposal.
It’s totally colourful, wry, and heart-warming. Few will leave their seats after Real Life without feeling uplifted in some way.
Real Life is at Project Arts Centre, Dublin, until Saturday, June 29th
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