Tonic – Dublin Fringe Festival – Review
Fionn Foley & Rough Magic

Performances – 11, 13–19 September @ 20:30, €16/€14
Venue – Dublin Castle – Outside the Printworks
Duration – 75mins

The year is 2047 and it is truly the end of days. The seas have risen, the rivers have run dry and we know we’re living on borrowed time, but fear not as there is still time to enjoy ourselves for one last night. There is a band of travelling musicians in town, ‘The Incredible Calibri Triplet Family Band’ have arrived to perform for our delectation, or at least two of the members of the band have! Cal (Fionn Foley), one part Impresario and one part snake-oil salesman is the leader of the group. He’s here to perform but also to sell his marvellous new tonic called Halcyon, which has a number of fabulous (as yet unproven) medicinal qualities. But what has happened to the third member of the band? Could Jude (Juliette Crosbie) possibly turn up to spoil the party?

The setting for this performance is quite unique, as it was performed on the grounds of Dublin Castle, just beside the Chapel Royal outside the main square. The audience sits at a number of picnic tables that are sprinkled around the square in front of the stage. As it’s a nighttime performance, it gets quite cold so dress accordingly, but it’s quite a magical setting.

The play was produced by Rough Magic and started life at the Kilkenny Arts Festival, where it ran in August. It now has a second lease of life during the Dublin Fringe Festival. The work is written by and stars Fionn Foley, who is also the writer of ‘Dogs of War‘ which was recently performed in St. Stephen’s Green as part of the Bewleys Cafe Walkabout theatre season.

The play is directed by Ronan Phelan, who has worked on many musicals and operas in the past and has a flair for such works. The production is not quite a musical, more of a play with a number of folk songs dotted through it. The lyrics to the songs are whimsical in nature and the performers are equally adept with the musical sections as with the scripted pieces. It’s an entertaining night out with many gags and twists along the way.  Who knew the impending apocalypse would be such fun?

Cast: 
Cal – Fionn Foley
Jude – Juliette Crosbie
Lar – Aoife Kelly