Theatre
Declan John Maxwell reviewed On Rafertys Hill by Marina Carr, performed by Dublin Shakespeare Society.
Lights up on a dreary country kitchen somewhere in Kinegar, rural Ireland. A brutal and disturbing story, On Rafertys Hill, might otherwise be titled Whiskey, Guns and Incest, just to lay lame the crushing story that was about to unfold within 2 hours. I suppose I expected a bull-horned spectacle of satan to appear on set but instead a regular build of a father figure, Red Raferty, a man in his middle years eventually entered into the sparsely decorated stage, brandishing a double barrelled shotgun, followed by his pal Isaac Dunn also gun bearing.
The country kitchen dresser, continually used, as a supply point for ‘whishkey’ top-ups to one and all. And across the scrubbed country kitchen table, centre-stage, the events of this tightly bound family became all too apparent. If this was a tale of domestic violence there would have been broken cups and splintered furniture but the dresser and table remained intact. Broken dreams and sordid disapointment set the atmosphere. A living nightmare of horror because of the ‘Daddy’ a father three and son to Shalome. The slight figure of the mother of Red, Shalome contained enough sanity and bravery to voice her hurt and awareness at her abusing son.
She is also the grandmother to Dinah and Dara. Shalome who attempts so often to walk away albeit through temporary bouts of delirium, dragged back to the confines of the house for her own safety! Strong female figures compared to males are apparent in this production. The boyfriend to Sorrel Raferty, Dara Mood, attempts to stand his ground before his future father-in-law. But then all words were blunt arrows when hurled at ‘Daddy’. We find Issac Dunn, a man with a more tame demeanour to be a non-judgemental man, and a shooting companion to Red. All characters are clearly drawn – all created with their own identifiable ‘human condition’.
Strong characterisation so great to watch. Dinah Raferty managed to conceal the ultimate horror and yet cleverly displayed signs of withdrawal as a result of her abused childhood – the actress to be highly commended. But also a stirring sense of calm between father and daughter cleverly crafted where the crucial point in a story is leaked through suggestion and yet deliver the most revealing elements of the story. In contrast to the gravity of incest, there’s a wonderful speech where the Dinah recalls the happy abuse-free days of infancy, when her father “knew how to build up a child’s heart”. There were some moments of humour, Red says of his hypochondriac wife that “if Christ heeself slid onto the pillow, she’d plead the migraine”. A much needed moment of humour.
© Declan Maxwell
Theatre
Declan John Maxwell reviewed The Vortex by Noël Coward – Gate Theatre Dublin.
Set in the roaring 1920s, this saga is spun round the vain and ageing Florence Lancaster (Susannah Harker) and her charming cluster of London’s social elite. Her temperamental and talented son, a composer by the name of Nicky Lancaster, brilliantly played by Rory Fleck Byrne, executes the role of a young man in his late twenties with issues of cocaine addiction and homosexuality. There is nothing new about the real human struggles that provide the dramatic contrast of events we see untangled in Annabelle Comyn’s gorgeous direction. Worth noting is Mark O’Regan’s, ‘Pawnie’ who devours his fellow characters thrillingly with executioner-strength sarcasm and wit. Cowards command of obsequious language is well-crafted as Pawnie delivers the line “missing you appallingly”, as he bids farewell to Florence.
The superficiality of the 1920’s is both compelling and benign in this, the first ever production of The Vortex in Ireland, as the “posturing” social elite gush over one another in a magnificent stage set by Paul O’Mahony. In the beautifully lit and styled art-deco interior, tall sandalwood verticals are suspended in a semi-circumference suggesting a circular space, which is aptly used as the actors display both gracious and harsh choreographed movement. An ornate circular staircase is revealed as the scene changes from act one to act two, mimicking the notion of a vortex. As the progress of the story builds to a party at the weekend, the tensions rise in all manner of activity. Nicky, clearly struggling with his addiction, displays unharnessed energy as he attempts to dance the Charleston in front of the wealthy and fashionable set of “cocktail dahlings”.
What brought me to this production was my desire to glimpse, and maybe savour, the twenties from Noel Coward’s viewpoint. Despite the charming style and setting, you could figure that vanity has not changed in a hundred years.
© Declan Maxwell
Featured articles
Take Cover Da
Weekend mornings were designed for a lie-in. The little luxury of a soothing, rejuvenating and dreamy slumber – just enough to recharge your batteries for the weekend. Other folk have different pursuits, however.
Deep in a forest, uniformed soldiers, creep with stealth towards enemy lines. The crack-thump of a round rattles the gravel at the feet of hunched troopers. Rapid fire follows, two men down. Gone. Twack, twack, twack, you’ve been hit, three in the thigh. Its not exactly killing you, but you’re not going down without a fight. You take aim when suddenly, to your shock, a marshal in a blazing yellow bib roars. “You’re dead, now take the hit, gun above your head and back to base”. And no, it’s not a dream.
This is Airsoft, a structured game where opposing teams use replica weapons that fire plastic BB pellets and claim victory in the enemys territory. Next to health and safety, Airsoft rule number one is play fair. You abide by the rules of honour to take the hit or game over. Never think you can’t be seen getting hit. If the marshal doesn’t see you, the sniper who hit you from 40 yards away knows he hit you. This high-adrenalin sport is engaging, demanding and exhausting.
Interest continues to grow across a broad spectrum of people whether you are a rugby ref, a shop manager, a plumber, professor or a business development manager like Phil who has a 15 year old son Adrian who also plays Airsoft. Interestingly, is the growing number of ‘father-and-son’ teams. This forty-something father and his teenage son are kitted out in combat jackets and share a collection of replica weapons ready to skirmish. Phil told me that after a few weeks of driving Adrian to the site for Saturday skirmish he noticed his own age demographic gearing up with war paint and ghilly suits, and some with radio mics! “It definitely is a bonding experience,” he says. “All this! I never thought I’d see the day I’d be out, running around an old farm yard, being picked off with pellets. And some of them are coming from my own young-fella.” It is clearly an environment for bravado and public displays of testosterone charged men? Some men haven’t lost the notion of playing soldiers, but there’s a no-nonsense guarantee and the like-minded enthusiasts are not slow to report what’s not fair game.
Each task requires strategy and tactics so gung-ho antics don’t fit it in the broad scheme of things. As for the trigger-happy adolescent, different games involving close-quarter-combat may dictate single shot only. Rules are enforced and result in disqualification sending the irresponsible individual off and out. The twack of a BB comes from a tiny 6mm plastic pellet fired by an Automatic Electric Gun (AEG) which was first developed by the Tokyo Marui company in Japan in the late eighties. Airsoft is a huge industry across Asia where thousands of players turn up and the rules of engagement are set at a much higher level. Limited ammunition, unequal number on teams and vast areas of mountainside to cover in a day.
And there’s also the use of helicopters which provide airborne advantage. The player is strapped in and using a more powerful assault rifle attacks land players. The downdraft from the rotor has influence on accuracy even with a weapon that fires at three times the muzzle power allowed in Ireland. Jack Lee a business graduate and an Airsoft retailer based in Fairview, says the sport has grown in Ireland since 2008. Even amid the recession, it grew at 20% year on year. But when is a weapon not a weapon? Jack reminds of me where the law stands on the use of fire-arms as toys. Currently, a muzzle energy level of up to one joule or 328fps which means the plastic BB pellet leaves the weapon at 328 feet per second – is regarded as a toy. Anything more than one joule and the gun is regarded as a real fire-arm.
As the external appearance is almost 100% percent accurate and life-like, it’s quite easy to be taken in by appearances. Nevertheless, this is a sport with a gutsy high-enjoyment factor even in bad weather or at night. Airsoft has a unique level of engagement, so charge those batteries.
© Declan Maxwell
The value of Moore Street
Historically Moore Street is of great significance to our identity and culture. On April 29th 1916, Padraig Pearse and the remaining volunteers surrendered to General Lowe of the British army following heavy fighting and much loss of life over the six days of the Easter Rising.
Along with the historical value, the street is fading from what it used to be according to Cathy, who worked in Moore Street market since 1978. That said, people from all walks of life, from all levels of society with their oddities, idiosyncrasies – call it what you will, are random yet frequent visitors to the street. “It’s the people that make it what it is,” says Cathy.
One of four sisters, Cathy is a fourth generation trader in the street with family connections to other traders in the market. At the tender age of 15, she decided to help her mother selling at the stall on a bank holiday weekend and happily remained working since then. Cathy and her sisters Joyce, Betty and Mary operate a tight business where they each work five days out of six. “They have seen so much over the decades.” Busy times were followed by a decline in business, which oddly was around the time of the boom. With more disposable income, people could afford higher prices elsewhere while the growth of Centra and Spar stores also impacted on business.
But then came the after-workers, as Cathy calls them. The tradesmen who shopped from stalls after a long day working in construction, buying from the markets was their preferred choice. As soon as Cathy and her sisters thought they were packing up for the day, they found there was enough business for another two hours to facilitate the overseas workers who came to Ireland to work on the building sites. Dublin’s skyline was sign-posted with tower cranes, was it any wonder the traders had happily more to contend with of an evening.
There’s no denying it, hard work is good work and the stall holders are truly hard working people. They take their breaks like anybody else. They share a flask of hot tea when it’s not so busy. Cathy recalls a woman who was an only child, that married into a financially secure relationship. She had a family who individually were very successful but now she was alone, without company. Life was lacking a chat and a cup of tea. So every now and then she would appear at the stall and share in the chat and hot tea with the friendliest of people.
Even though Cathy “would love a few decent shops’ on the street and desregarding her mother’s suggestion that life would pass her by, she “wouldn’t change it for the world”.
© Declan Maxwell
Performing Artists
Declan John Maxwell reviewed Julie B Wild — The Red Room
December 6, 2017
As if out of the blue Julie has come to my attention.
Julie is a singer, song-writer and performer. As with her other work, she weaves together a unique style and blend of melody with inquisitive lyrics, all polished with an enviable production quality.
There is and openness and subtly within this song and is set against a kind of trippy rhythm. And its not a love song which I quite like. Tenderness, in mood and tone is not forgotten it has to be said. That combined with digital visuals makes this a compelling track.
I love the feminine boldness enriched by frequent colour referencing, as if every moment in all the hours of passion had a sensuous colour applied, blush, ruby, crimson, fuchia, a sensuous tale told with style.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJ_m0KPbGrk]
Stay with us Julie.
Cafe Venue
The Vintage Teapot
It’s a Friday evening, I drop into The Vintage Teapot in Cathedral Street, D1 and theres a live Jazz vibe going on. The Charlie Mooney Trio, swell, smooth and engaging. Yet again Angie Wang and the crew host an easy, groovy evening with the boys who effortlessly deliver sumptuous numbers with a silky fine charisma. Vocals, beautifully soft in an ambient and cultured surrounding of the finest oriental tea cafe in Dublin 1. And there’s more to follow in this gorgeous venue, not to be missed. Honestly.
Restaurant
– Majorca, Spain
Alma Mia Restaurant, Cala Bona, Majorca
On the waters edge, beneath the palm trees of Calle Xaloc, Cala Bona, by chance we stopped at Alma Mia for evening meal and drinks. The warm tranquil surroundings had arrested us. This is a no-fuss kinda place so easy on the senses. So naturally sitting by the sea on a moonlit night, eating out doors was a charming way to spend our last night in Majorca. Alma Mia offers something unique among all the other restaurants we visited during our stay.
The quality of food here is delicious and the staff are attentive and eager to please.
Our compliments to the chef and staff and in particular to the humorous and professional Chris. Prices are reasonable but not cheap which is a good thing. I love a G&T and Alma Mia have that too but maybe have a few more types – just for me!!
I would go back to Alma Mia in a heart beat.
Thanks so much for a lovely night everyone.
Muchas Gracias Alma Mia.
as published in TripAdvisor.ie
Airsoft Equipment
SG Airsoft Dublin
Great shop. Great staff. Always helpful. AND they remember your name and what you purchased.
Wish they had a coffee bar.
My tuppence worth on TM SCAR H, I got from these guys:
Like a lot of AEG’s single shot mode is clean and true on the SCAR H. But click to full auto, and given the range and accuracy of this machine, you enter a different class. The motor is a powerhouse so no need to mod it (imho). I find the recoil light and to be honest is a feature but not a requirement. SCAR H is not a quiet player – you can give away your location as theres a unique ring from the metal. Have to say, ‘Its a beautiful noise’!! Rate of fire is not as low as I thought. Let it rip and you’ll know what I mean. Fitting the battery is painless, if thats anything to be concerned with. Barrel extension assists range and accuracy and obviously makes the SCAR grow longer (+shoulder stock extended). Not that thats a worry. This is Tokyo Marui at its best and well worth the investment. Enjoy.
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Unsolicited video script
Declan John Maxwell — The DeliveryBox – online creative promo video
