“The May Blaze” is a new company. Why did you choose the festival to launch it?
I was invited to stage a production for the 10 Days In Dublin festival at an open-mic poetry night called The Monday Echo at The International Bar. I had been percolating ideas for a theatrical show based on my spoken word pieces that would include strong visual and musical elements. This chance encounter, and the enthusiasm of 10 days’ Spoken Word Co-ordinator Aisling Murray made me decide to debut the show, and the company with them. The May Blaze is about creating cross-disciplinary, collaborative work and, for the first project, 10 Days felt like a great fit.
The message of “Token Word” is “get up off your knees and thrive despite your circumstances”. Can this be seen as a reaction against the atmosphere in today’s young Irish art scene?
Actually I feel like Ireland’s young art scene and visionary entrepreneurs are the ones who have inspired this sentiment. There are amazing people around this town who use their creativity and ingenuity to reinvent themselves and their businesses, where a portion of the country refuses to move on. I feel like the constant rehashing of the recession keeps people from reassessing what they have now and making the most of it.
“Token Word” will take place in a historical building that has been, in the past, a brewing company and a wholesale centre. What made you choose it as a setting for your production?
South Studios is a place I got to know through working in fashion and the Laundry Room is a magnificent space. It is a huge white room that can be transformed into anything you can dream up! This is something that very much appealed to myself and Stephen (our lighting designer) as we wanted the show to transport the audience by creating an entirely new environment. The building is also home to some of the wonderfully creative people who inspired the sentiment of the show, so there’s a very positive and welcoming atmosphere.
July 10th, The Laundry Room @ South Studios, 27/28 New Row South, Blackpitts, Dublin 8, €10/8
