Changing Room and Dining Room by Enda Walsh
The Shed, Galway Harbour
★★★★☆
Playwright Enda Walsh and Galway International Arts Festival director Paul Fahy have been creating theatre-installation Rooms for the festival for several years: brief nuggets of intensity shining a light on a person, a situation, to a small number of people gathered within a set created for the piece, for about 15 minutes.
This year the festival presents two Rooms: the latest in this series, Dining Room, but also remounts Changing Room, from a Covid-era festival which was seen by very few people due to restrictions. The Rooms are in adjacent spaces in a converted shed at Galway’s docks, a handy central location, even if sound from construction work nearby slightly intruded.
The Changing Room set is reminiscent of the 1950s-style shelters on the nearby Prom in Salthill, with narrow openings to the light near the roof, slatted benches, concrete floor. On the wall are stencilled the two-metre markings of Covid times, when this Room was first created. Shoes are strewn, and towels and clothes hang from hooks, because Cathal (voiced by Marty Rea) is a sea swimmer.
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Cathal’s life has involved early grief, lack of direction and sorrow. He has drifted, allowed others to make his decisions, but he yearns for change, and dreams of love. A gentle, hopeful piece, it points to the possibilities for changing one’s life, even when the future seems mapped out.
Dining Room is unrelated, not a companion piece (other than being part of the Rooms series), and different in tone and execution. Set in a trashed diningroom, it takes the form of voicemails from B&B-owner Fergal (Aaron Monaghan), to his estranged wife Audrey. Fergal is frantic, frenetic, unhinged, mile-a-minute, his very funny monologue railing against the guests who left a one-star review, and a friend’s betrayal.
“Come on ONE STAR I mean come on I mean honestly, honestly. ONE STAR ONE F***ING STAR. COME ON.” A man on the verge of breakdown or revenge, this is humorous, tinged with pathos.
Changing Room and Dining Room run until July 27th. giaf.ie
