Giselle, from Dublin’s Gay Theatre Festival

Ballet with bondage overtones

Dublin Gay Theatre Festival 2011 – Back Loft, La Catedral Studios, 7-11 St Augustine Street, Dublin 8 – 9.30pm (65 minutes) – May 4-7 (show seen May 6)

In this combination of a contemporary dance and spoken one-man show, Mercier tells parts of his personal journey, particularly his classical ballet training and his ‘coming out’ to his family as a gay man.

The juxtaposition of naked ballet with some bondage gear – and quite a lot of rose petals – makes the piece highly unusual and interesting visually.  He pokes fun at the conventions of both the ballet and bondage worlds.

But perhaps the best parts are where Mercier simply stands up and tells his story in a deadpan way, with the right mix of humour and straightup honesty.  These are used as interludes in the dance performance, which are perhaps too brief and could be expanded, to make use of his talents in this area, which are as strong as his dancing ability.

Cast Credits: Performer – Joseph Mercier.

Company Credits: Producer – Clara Giraud; Co-Produced by – Chisenhale Dance Space; Dramaturgy – Zlata Camdzic; Lighting Design – Ziggy Jacobs.  Special Thanks to – Jessica Muche, Bruno Vinhas & Seamus Bradley.

© Colman Higgins 2011

Cloaked, by Ricardo Melendez

Neo-Shakespearean drama about gender

Dublin Gay Theatre Festival 2011 – Back Loft, La Catedral Studios, 7-11 St Augustine Street, Dublin 8 – May 2-7 – 8pm (70 minutes – May 2 & 7 at 2.30pm also) – show seen May 6

This costume drama is set in a Renaissance milieu in an unspecified European country and phrased in beautiful Shakespearean language – but explores themes that were very much forbidden at that time.

Queen Sofia is actually a man pretending to be a woman, because of a decision his now-dead mother made to protect him as a baby, from rebels intent on killing a male heir.

Not only that, he is gay, which allows him to have a secret romance with courtier Alonso, who is unaware of his Queen’s true nature, as she only ever allows him to have anal sex.  To complicate matters further, a religious fanatic (Orozco) is intent on burning any gay members of the nobility at the stake.  The subterfuge in which Sofia has to engage is eating her inside and the play is about how she resolves this conflict.

The language used is similar to that of Shakespeare’s period and is almost as colourful and elegant as that of the Bard himself, while remaining completely comprehensible to the modern listener.  When the fantastically lavish costumes are added, the overall sensory effect is an unremittingly delightful experience.

Melendez’s acting is as flawless as his writing and he could almost have carried off the play as a one-man show.  While the moral message of the play could be seen as slightly heavy-handed, the elegance of its presentation means that any such stridency is barely noticeable.

Cast Credits:  Queen Sofia – Ricardo Melendez; Lord Orozco / Alonso – CJ Vogt; Lord Giacomo / Francesco – Patrick Marlett.

Company Credits: Director – Steve Earle; Writer – Ricardo Melendez; Inspired by – Franciso Ors’ CONTRADANZA.

© Colman Higgins 2011