It's that time of year when theatre-goers long to split themselves several ways in order to take in each of the Fringe Festival performances. With 21 shows opening this week alone, a large amount of cloning would be necessary.
Controversy looms large this week with a number of shows bringing the slightly seedy or shocking to the Irish stage. Mark Ravenhill's Shopping and F***king is the most high profile; a Royal Court Theatre/Out of Joint production showing in the Andrews Lane Theatre, it is one of Tuesday's launch shows and definitely deserves a look-in if only because it's the most talked about show of the Fringe so far.
Also likely to shock are Gulp, a tale of sex and sexuality in Wales (the new Trainspotting, anyone?) in the Andrews Lane Theatre, and Green, a first play by young playwright, Anthony Goulding. A promenade production in the unusual setting of the Dublin Brewing Company in Smithfield, Green takes a no-holds-barred look at Phoenix Park - the seedy night-life that is, and not the Presidency.
The second of Tuesday's launch shows is Hit And Run, a funky dance production by CoisCeim, that you'll have to be quick off the mark to catch as it's showing for one night only in the System night-club on South Anne Street. The third launch show is an evening of music in the Tivoli with guitarist Louis Stewart and chanteuse, Honor Heffernan.
These launch shows apart, most of the week's openings take place on Monday. One to watch is Michael West's A Play On Two Chairs in the Andrews Lane Studio; fresh back from the New York Fringe Festival it will include a performance by actor Dominic West, most recently seen in Ian McKellan's film, Richard III.
Fresh from the Edinburgh Festival is Stephen Dinsdale's Nightshift, a comedy thriller about a thirtysomething minicab controller, which comes to Bewley's complete with rave reviews. Other interesting festival veterans are Dead Hours, a collaboration between an Irish and an Israeli actress which will transform The Crypt into an Israeli prison, and The Hanging Tree, a dark comedy by feisty Glasgow theatre company, LookOut, opening on Thursday in The Furnace on Aston Quay.
Further productions to look out for this week include Doubletake's third Fringe production, Cusp in the Da Club; the City Arts Centre's show, The Kydz by Ken Slattery, a young playwright on the up; a week of music in the Tivoli including performances by Mary Stokes, Leslie Dowdall and Hazel O'Connor; and the Nualas' show in the Temple Bar Hotel on Friday.
Have a hectic week!
For further information contact the Dublin Fringe Festival office at the IFC, Eustace Street, Temple Bar, tel 01 6704567 or fax 8729138.