Twelve short films of defiance in lockdown, available on the takeyourseats.ie website and on New Theatre Dublin’s Facebook page.
Originally presented across a three week period, these films are now available to watch in any order you like. I opted to watch them in one sitting, in the order of release.
The plays:
An Unmade Bed by Elizabeth Moynihan. Performed by Laoisa Sexton. Duration: 15 minutes. Donate to An Unmade Bed.
The One Tree by Tara Maria Lovett. Performed by Pat Nolan. Duration: 15 minutes. Donate to The One Tree.
Shard by Stewart Roche. Performed by Neill Fleming. Duration: 16 minutes. Donate to Shard.
The Pleasureometer by Jack Harte. Performed by Gerard Lee. Duration: 15 minutes. Donate to The Pleasureometer.
Toffee by Ultan Pringle. Performed by Clelia Murphy. Duration: 16 minutes. Donate to Toffee.
Hug by Ali Hardiman. Performed by Madi O’Carroll. Duration: 13.5 minutes. Donate to Hug.
Pandemic Panic by Ella Skolimowski. Performed by Aneta Dina Keder. Duration: 13 minutes. Donate to Pandemic Panic.
Backwards and Forwards by David Halpin. Performed by Jed Murray. Duration: 12 minutes. Donate to Backwards and Forwards.
King of Cats by Oisin Robbins. Performed by Aron Hegarty. Duration: 14.5 minutes. Donate to King of Cats.
The Jar by Myrn Devaney. Performed by Lauren Farrell. Duration: 13 minutes. Donate to The Jar.
The Moving Bridge by Ann Matthews. Performed by Amy O’Dwyer. Duration: 11.5 minutes. Donate to The Moving Bridge.
A Tale of Lost Biafra by Justin Butcher. Performed by Ben Okafor. Directed by Amaka Okafor. Duration: 15.5 minutes. Donate to A Tale of Lost Biafra.
These shorts, ranging from 11 to 16 minutes in length, are monologues – each one pairing one writing and one performer. They range in style and tone – some are presented in a simple background and spoken to camera, some are done on voiceover over visuals that feel filmic, some feel like short films in their own right.
Themed loosely around the topic of lockdown, some are filmed in the style of video calls, others are more conspiratorial, about love, politics, revenge, memories, and even time travel. Some are rooted in reality, others are more abstract.
As individual pieces, some have more to say than others, but as a group they are a strong collection of films from theatre in crisis.
Watch at Fight Back 2020 Festival or The New Theatre Dublin on Facebook.