The ‘24hr Theatre Challenge’

ROLL up, roll up to RiverFest 2012’s wild card in the arts scene, the ‘24r Theatre Challenge’ by Orchard Theatre Company taking place in Daghdha Space. End game is the performance on Saturday May 5, 7pm for four short and (probably) funny plays, each capped at about 20 minutes and conceived within the momentum. “We have about 55, maybe 60 people involved in theatre, many from other companies such as Wildebeest, Bottom Dog, Magic Roundabout and members of the former Teaspach Theatre Company, so it’s not just Orchard,” reports Simon Thompson, architect of it all.

“Everbody involved will show up at Daghda Space, 10amon Friday May 4. We take headshots of everyone, shuffle them and create four random teams, each with an assigned writer and director. These are supplemented by actors, wardrobe, front of house, marketing, catering, lighting design, stage managers, techies”.
Everybody has to bring an item to the arena which they will retain, and which has to be written into their team’s script.
Reader, we as public are invited to witness the creation of ensuing works in progress, between 12noon Friday 4 and 9pm. Then doors at the John Street venue close until the Saturday 5 night performances. Follow these mystery hours (“a little manic!”) uplodaded by text, photography and video on facebook and twitter @orchardtheatrec.
Accepting that the timeframe is fulcrum to the new works, Arts page wonders exactly what Orchard’s Thompson is going to wring from people under such duress? He is absolutely believing that good will result.
“Look at the quality of theatre practitioners we have working with us,. Myles Breen will write for ‘24hr Theatre Challenge’, there is Liam O’Brien and Stephanie O’Keffee, Stef Barry, Darren Maher. People will not be so tired that they come out lacklustre for performance. There will be chances to get some shuteye”. He laughs, the low, sure, throaty sound of a master puppeteer.
Simon Orchard trained in commedia dell’arte and his discipline being that of The Clown, the element of failure is integral to success in making us laugh, warm to losses and delight in triumph.
“It’s that element, the risk of failure of these fun, creative ideas, that’s essential. In performance, the wheels might fall off for five minutes or so but with theatre practictioners like these, can we pull it off?”
Again, roll up to the mystery tour of four new, original works on Saturday 5, 7pm, John Square. Café Noir and Nash Minerals are sponsoring this dramatic marathon.

From left, Marie Boylan, Jamie Walters, Mark O’Connor, Pat Cusack, and front, Graham Gill with Pius McGrath telling us that ‘the clock is ticking’.