Riot – Spiegeltent – Tiger Dublin Fringe Review

Dates Sep 16 – 17 @ 21:30 / Sep 17 & 20 – 25 @ 19:00 Site opens 18:00 – Tickets €23 – €26
Duration 90 mins – Venue: Spiegeltent @ Merrion Square

There have been many cabaret acts in the Fringe Festival over the years, what makes this one unique is that it is very, very Irish. How Irish I hear you say? Well, one of the acrobats performs in a Roscommon GAA top while eating a packet of Tayto. You just don’t get much more Irish than that really!

This is a collection of performers put together by Thisispopbaby for a new show in the Fringe, running in the wonderful setting of the Spiegeltent in Merrion Square. There are a number of Fringe regulars that perform as part of this production, with the Lords of Strut and Emmet Kirwan of Dublin Oldschool. Ex-Riverdancers ‘Up and Over It’ are even double jobbing it, with a performance aimed at kids during the day and here at night. There’s also a few familiar faces with Panti taking charge of proceedings and Megan Riordan who has only recently finished in Once the Musical.

Emmet Kirwan opens proceedings with a blistering state of the nation address in the form of a rap. Panti then channels Maggie Smith in the Prime of Miss Jean Brodie with a lip sync performance to show up many a boy band member. The Lords of Strut add to the madness with some segments from their Chaos show. The production contains a number of dance and musical acts, but things are never that simple and each act has more than one element to it, to keep it from ever becoming predictable.

There’s an emphasis on the music of the 80s, with a heavy synth sound throughout. Audience participation is required, with clapping, singing and even a touch of gentle whipping! To end the evening, Panti explains how a young boy from Mayo wanted to be Farrah Fawcett when he grew up. A valuable life lesson that dreams can always be achieved. A smorgasbord of madness served up with a cheesy grin, you really just have to run with it!

Directed by Phillip McMahon and Jennifer Jennings.