Glowworm – Project Arts Centre – Review – Tiger Dublin Fringe

Umbrella Theatre Project

Preview Sep 10 @ 14:00 – Tickets €10
Dates Sep 11 – 16 @ 14:00 / Sep 17 @ 19:00 – Tickets €12 / €10 conc.
Duration 60 mins – Venue: Project Arts Centre Cube

Zelle De Brulle is an avid insect collector. One night she manages to capture a glowworm beside the fountain in the Oxborough Gardens. This small incident is the spark that causes a moment of reflection in this production by the Umbrella Theatre Project. Zelle considers her relationships with her family and the people in her school, remembering various incidents and events. This new work features music, movement and puppetry to make something quite unique which is aimed at those who are ‘young at heart’.

When you enter the theatre, the three actors are already on stage asleep. One is tucked up in a suit case, another asleep at his desk and the third hangs from a coat stand. There are a number of large bookcases at the back of the stage, filled with a variety of vases, test tubes, old books, masks and other odds and ends. Many of these items are used by the cast in the performance to create the world we are about to see. As the lights start to rise, the three wake from their slumber and start to tell the tale. Their performance is assisted by a number of musicians hidden back stage, featuring mostly guitar and percussion to keep the piece moving steadily onwards.

While puppets do feature, they are a relatively small part of the play, with the three actors taking on the majority of the roles. The tale itself is quite fanciful and features a number of incidents between our hero Zelle and her eccentric family and class mates. It is set in an imaginative world and has a jolly hockey sticks view of pre-war England and the Oxborough academy. The art design is very impressive and the whole production looks great, adding an air of sophistication to proceedings. Despite the subject matter, smaller children may struggle to follow the tale, as it moves quickly between time and setting. This is the first production by Umbrella Theatre Project and shows what they are trying to achieve, with a touch of magic in the air. It is an enjoyable romp, well told by the three able actors on stage.

CAST –

Julie Maguire

Conor O’Riordan

Maria Guiver

CREATIVE TEAM

Director / Davey Kelleher

Writer / Tom Nieboer

Producer / Andy Carberry

Production Designer / Hanna Bowe

Sound Designer / Dylan Tonge Jones

Chief LX / John Brennan

Production Manager / Barry O’Donovan

Head of Art Department / Sue Crawford

Art Department / Seán Martin & Claudia Lemontea

Company Stage Manager / Gordon Bell

Marketing Consultant / Roxanne Brownlee

Movement Support / Bryan Burroughs