October welcomes Outlandish Theatre’s incredible new work to Dublin Theatre Festival. Global Desires is a non-narrative and surreal new performance, wherein the ensemble look at desire as the theme of the piece, contrasting a desire for the amelioration of humanity, versus the desires we have as individuals, though the locus of Polina Cosgrave, a poet and performer desiring to bring about world peace through poetry.
The group, founded on Open Theatre practice, provides a cooperative, participatory platform which invites participants from all disciplines, abilities and backgrounds to take part, and to develop new, exciting and unconventional theatrical work.
With the announcement of this important new work garnering the well deserved recognition of being added to the programme of the incredible Dublin Theatre Festival, we thought it a fine opportunity to speak to the people behind it. Neo Florence Gilson, a poet, performer and storyteller, who plays a ‘Watchman’ in the piece, along with Outlandish Theatre founders Maud Hendricks and Bernie O’Reilly, were good enough to forgive my tardiness for our interview, and spoke with me about ‘Global Desires’, Gorky, altruism and Art equals Health.
Perhaps you’d like to tell us about what you do, and how ye came together for ‘Global Desires’?
Maud Hendricks: We’ve worked with Neo for the past six or seven years, on different projects. Outlandish is a co-creative and participatory theatre platform, with the intention of making new work with people who ordinarily may not take part in the theatre industry. We make work in ways that might be different from a standard theatre process. We have an Open Theatre Practice, which means that quite literally, it’s open to anyone who’s interested in making new performance work. We do that every Wednesday night in the Coombe Hospital, where we have a residency.
Can you explain that process a little?
Maud: Our way of making work is quite alternative in terms of its timeline, uses a methodology of co-creation, and is interdisciplinary. Our process takes over a year, sometimes up to two years. It means that we have a longer development period and offer alternative ways of connecting to performers. For example, working with Neo at a distance, we make it possible by travelling to her and making film work, or by connecting through Zoom, email, and other ways of communicating and making. This way we can offer opportunities to people, who might otherwise be disenfranchised from any platform in terms of theatre, to take part.
And by platform you mean…
Maud: Platform, because it creates the idea of inviting perspectives that might otherwise not be integrated into the development of new work, and a platform for the experimentation of those methodologies. We can test how we might create work that’s of a high standard, but that also allows for flexibility toward participation.
Are there any other companies doing this kind of work?
Maud: The people that we look up to the most are probably Back to Back Theatre in Geelong, Australia. They work with an ensemble of actors for two years to make incredible theatre art. We align with their ideology of advocacy for acknowledgment of all identities in their company and society.
Can you tell me about the unconventional structure for ‘Global Desires’?
Maud: We’re very much juxtaposing a desire for world peace against the individual everyday desire. This kind of absurdist attempt to create an end to all armed conflict is layered with Gorky’s desire to create a better and more equal existence for all people.
‘Summerfolk’ is relatable to the way Ireland is now, with the nouveau riche striving to enjoy life to the fullest, whilst there is a huge imbalance, the wealthy getting wealthier. There’s still housing and systemic inequality. Gorky was an idealist a hundred years ago, and after all those wars, what has changed?
More relevant than ever. Neo, could you talk to me a little about your role and performance?
Neo Florence Gilson: My role in the show is one of a watchwoman, which I’m sharing with a colleague, IBeatriz. From the onset, we went and studied the day in the life of a security guard and cleaner, be it in an institutionalised setup like Direct Provision where I live, or even in a normal retail context. Engaging the text, I approach it in the sense of what power dynamics are involved, what are the threats and vulnerabilities, and how that affects a watchwoman’s role, and also ask questions about autonomy.
We explore how a person might use his or her authority through body language. The interaction between the performer and the audience has been explored, and also between myself and IBeatriz, as colleagues, that pact that we have to protect one another. For me it’s all exploring, what would it be like, as a watchwoman, just for one day to have autonomy.
And how have you found working with Outlandish?
Neo: Working with Outlandish Theatre is a blessing in that it gives one an opportunity to explore the theme through writing a performance text, where we engage with Maud and Bernie. We also look at the aesthetic side, it offers an amazing opportunity to co-create.
Maud: The watchwomen, in this piece, say very little. They’re very much observers. It’s very powerful because they’re outside of the society that they’re commenting on, and yet they have a role to play in the management of that space. We filmed a very strong performance last year where we performed ‘Summerfolk’ redux. This is where we were aligning the role of watchwomen with Neo and her observations of living in direct provision in Ireland. Also how these places are managed. How you’re in an observing role, but not in an authentic power position to change anything. The development of that has been part of our negotiation of the role of the watchwomen. They have a certain degree of instrumentalisation of the space. They have impact but they don’t have power.
It’s incredible that you’re still able to work around that kind of a challenge.
Maud: It’s important in terms of Neo’s participation. In a regular production timeline, the logistics may not allow us to work with Neo, but the way that we do it, we can have her as a person represented onstage.
Can you talk to me about the process of putting the production together?
It’s a very live sculptural work. We have all these puzzle pieces, with people in different locations, with different schedules, and different ways of working with us, which leaves us with a performance that comes together only on September 23rd when we are all together for the last stretch of rehearsals. Until that moment there are bits and pieces that will change and adapt.
We are working with interdisciplinary artists, movement director JJ, sound artist Oli Ryan, lighting designer Pedro Pacheco, costume designer Liza Cox and dramaturg Nicholas Johnson co-creating an exciting, radical piece of experimental theatre. In a new collaboration with architect and wood sculptor Andrew Kirwan, this production will be staged in a custom designed and built set where the audience have an intimate experience. We are bringing the audience into a space where they can observe thought and action as a reflection of themselves, a mirroring pad without media distraction.
Are you planning on touring this performance?
Maud: We would love to tour this work. ‘Global Desires’ would be a possible production that we could tour, and one that could be recreated in a different context very easily, not only with the original cast but also with people that we might work locally with in different locations. It would be one of our ambitions to tour this. We need a touring grant that would be sufficient to support the alternative way of working.
Are there any other projects have you been working on?
Maud: We have a small documentary film, called ‘1978’, which was in Pallas Projects Studios in early September, about the Art Space in Dublin 8.
And Neo, what about yourself? You’ve been published in The Stinging Fly and Storms Journal of Poetry, to name but two, is there anything you’d like to tell us about?
Neo: I’d like to say how thankful I am to Maud and Bernie. It’s a great honour to participate because I come from an under-represented community, living in direct provision, so ‘Global Desires’ is very close to my heart. I got the chance to interrogate and explore my lived experience in a direct way. It has given me a wonderful opportunity, and the possibility to develop my practice, and my art.
Words: Adhamh Ó Caoimh
Feature Image: Maud Hendricks + Simon Roche
Other Images: José Miguel
Global Desires by Outlandish Theatre takes place as part of Dublin Theatre Festival at Bay 1 at Digital Hub from Wednesday October 9th to Sunday October 13th. Tickets priced €16-€22 are available here.
Dublin Theatre Festival runs from 26 September to 13 October. Check out our overview of what’s in store here. Download the DTF 2024 programme HERE.
