You’re Still Here – Dublin Fringe Festival – Review

Performances – 22–26 September @ 19:30, 23–26 September @ 18:00
Venue – Dublin Castle – Outside the Printworks

This production took place in a gazebo located outside the Printworks at Dublin Castle. There were a number of seats dotted around the space, facing in different directions. Each chair had a set of headphones connected to it, which allowed the audience member to be immersed in the world of the production. There was a sound desk in one corner of the space that controlled what the audience heard, which was a blend of what the characters said out loud but also their thoughts, giving the viewer complete access inside the minds of the protagonists!

The production focused on a pair of sisters, Sam and Niamh (Hazel Clifford and Eavan Gaffney) who live a conventional life in their family home. Their father has recently died and they need to decide what to do with the family home. Sam is obsessed with interior decoration, modernising the house possibly with a view to selling it. Niamh seems content and doesn’t want to alter the status quo. The pair have another sibling, Jack (Finbarr Doyle), who lives illegally in the United States. One night while watching First Dates the sisters receive a text from Jack which sets their world into chaos.

This is an impressive piece from Murmuration theatre, a company that has created a distinct style for their productions through the use of headphones. While this technique is often used in theatre, allowing the audience access to the hopes and fears of the protagonists is quite unique. While the story of sibling rivalry was a little prosaic, the flair and humour of the piece carried it through.

You’re Still Here by Murmuration

Text by Finbarr Doyle and John King with the company

Concept development and additional text by James Elliott

Director John King
Scenographer Ellen Kirk
Composer & Sound Designer Jennifer O’Malley
Associate Sound Designer Padraig Ryan
Cast Hazel Clifford, Finbarr Doyle, Eavan Gaffney
Co-devisor Danielle Galligan
Production Manager Owen Clarke
Producer Tilly Taylor

Photography by Ellius Grace