Children’s show review: Far Away From Me

Far Away From Me

The Ark, Dublin

***

In Far Away From Me, writer and director Amy Conroy roams far from the bucolic landscape of traditional fairy tales. From Raymond Scannell's pulsing soundscape to Maree Kearns's scaffold and silhouette set, this is a contemporary urban environment, and its protagonist, Kevin King (Peter Corboy), longs to escape its oppressive forces: the silly social codes that determine he shouldn't be friends with his bestie, Katie, and the financial pressures that keep his mum (Niamh McGrath) late at work every night. Kevin seeks solace in fantasy: a world where he can be king. It turns out, however, that he doesn't really want the responsibility (or the simpering princesses who are queuing up to marry him).

Conroy employs a sophisticated dramatic strategy to tell her tale, aimed at audiences aged six and up. Much of the play is presented in monologue form, while the theatrical landscape is an imaginary one, requiring the audience to conjure the world and many of the characters for themselves. It is hard to maintain this focus with a young audience for 50 minutes, and Conroy uses aerial acrobats Emily Aoibheann and Elaine McCague, clad in red and black, to enliven the visual element of the show. Their sinister aerial spins represent the darker aspects of Kevin's conscience. However, within the broader context of the narrative, their presence is never fully justified. The small theatre space at The Ark also compromises their inclusion, dividing the visual plane for the audience, without offering enough distance to really impress.

Far Away From Me broaches some important issues around identity and inclusion, but dramatically it feels embryonic. Links to its inspirational tale are tenuous at best, and yet Kevin's story feels incomplete too. Unfortunately, it fails to pass the pea test. Until March 15th, then tours nationally