Festival 2016

Festival Preview 2014

Festival Preview 2014

Brian Merriman, Artistic Director of IDGTF introduces the 2014 Festival Programme:
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Now in its 11th year, the International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival is the biggest of it is kind in the world.

We tell the stories of the past and our stories of today in this innovative and entertaining programme.

The vibrant programme this year reflects our history as plays unpack the stories of the Great War in ‘For the Trumpets Shall Sound’. My own play ‘Eirebrushed
looks at the concept of a flawed person being a hero in the context of
Pearse, Casement, O’Farrell and Gore Booth, who along with Kathleen Lynn
and Madeleine ffrench Mullen were among the many gay heroes of a
struggle in 1916, which was to end with no minority being subject to the
majority. We are glad to return to the New Theatre this year.

We out soccer players in ‘Away From Home
– when an escort falls for his premier league client. Marriage equality
shines through in the retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk in ‘A Boy and A Bean’ from Australia and the other side of the coin ‘Civil Parting
about divorce, coming to us from South Africa.  Pearse and Casement are
not the only political figures under the spotlight as politics and
culture from the 1980s is quite a theme this year. Margaret Thatcher becomes the ‘Queen of Soho
finding herself lost in Soho on the eve of Clause 28 and accidentally
becoming a cabaret star.  If only she had remained in that career
choice.

We kick off our free events programme with ‘Show and Tell’ and ‘Spoken Word’ curated by David Doyle  in ‘The Harbour Playhouse’ in Portobello. ‘T-Girls
is our free play reading on Sunday May 11th in the Front Lounge, set on
the drag scene in Dublin 1980s. In a year where transgender identity
rights take another step forward, we also look at gender identity in a
special matinee ‘child friendly’ play called ‘Aunty Ben’. Ciara Gannon and Siobhan Killen treat us to a musical 80’s feast of what was ‘Acceptable In The 80’s
– part of a specific series where Irish LGBT voices direct from the
community, share their talents this year. This includes the accomplished
LGBT ‘Acting Out’ Group presenting their politically incorrect comedy ‘Tits Up
both in the wonderful space at Outhouse, the LGBT community centre in
Capel Street. It is good to be back there amongst friends.

We continue to encourage new writing and our audiences continue to flock to the ever popular ‘Theatre Shorts
programme. This year we have five shorts in the Cobalt Café with ‘Blue
Boy’ by Mark Ward, ‘Dear Madonna’ by Mark Power, ‘Grace and Maggie’ by
Therese Prendiville, ‘Bitten’ by Penny Jackson and ‘The Interview’ by
myself, Irish and international writers. We are delighted to welcome our
first play from Derry ‘Lesbian Style’ powerful storytelling theatre.

A strong bond in gay theatre is that is doesn’t need any translation when it comes to Ireland from abroad. ‘Faggot (Jesus Loves Me)
deals with the struggle a Canadian couple have with one being
influenced by religion and the other not. Gay icon Madonna gets her
homage in the shorts, in Outhouse and also in ‘Chicken Fried Ciccione’ by last year’s best Actor J Stephen Brantley from New York. 

Ireland’s stand-up comic Breda Larkin is back with another ‘culchie’ comedy hit in ‘Other Women’s World’ and we link up with the legendary Provincetown Gay Theatre Festival to bring ‘Two from Provincetown’:
‘A Shining Attribute by Candyce Rusk and a short, ‘What to Throw Out’
by our Ambassador Kathleen Warnock, so instrumental in bringing ‘Panti’
and our Festival to the streets of the inclusive ‘St Patricks for All
Parade’ in New York, recently.

We have some great musical treats. Renowned star ‘The Late David Turpin
will play his only 2014 Irish concerts in two late nights in the
Cobalt, the week after Stella Bass presents a jazz version of some of
composer Stephen Sondheim’s best songs in ‘A Little jazz Night Music’. The UK’s Exist Theatre combines original music in their contemporary relationship piece called ‘Man Enough’ and we camp it up big time in a backstage musical delight called ‘The Dressers’ completing our musical programme.


We
are delighted to renew our acquaintance with the legendary gay theatre
producer David Zak. David’s Chicago based ‘Bailiewick Theatre Company’
and his ‘Pride Film and Play’ competition results in a visit for the
first time in years by this company, with the award winning comedy ‘At the Flash’.

Young
Irish writers continue to identify the Festival as a place where they
will be heard, supported and showcased. Derek Masterson premieres his
latest work ‘Two Sides Of A Coin’ as does the prolific Alan Flanagan who will meet us at the junction of ‘Dupont and Davenport’. We present two accounts of historical gay writers in Israel’s  ‘Jean Genet – Son of a Bitch’ and we would not be complete without some Oscar and look forward to a visit from ‘My Dorian’ from Starving Artists, a university company from the USA.  It is great to see their university funding this trip.

I
can think of no better way to begin a new decade that to mark an
incredible coincidence. In May 1964 - the 18th to be precise – retired
dancer Joe Cino broke new boundaries by staging the first ever ‘gay
play’ in gay theatre. ‘The Madness of Lady Bright’ by Landford Wilson
was the trail blazer and exactly 50 years to the night, our Gala night
will celebrate International Gay theatre in our awards concert and
ceremony titled in tribute ‘A Night At The Café Cino’. 
Here we will present awards in the names of Wilde, Edwards, Mac
Liammoir, Eve Gore Booth, Patrick Murray and pioneering gay playwright
from the Cino days, Doric Wilson, in a celebration of what I am sure
will be a Festival of merit to begin our second decade.

Booking is now available online! See you at the 11th festival with a new programme of quality theatre each week beginning May 5th and May 12th 2014.