Stars – Dublin Fringe Festival – Review
Hannah Mamalis

PERFORMANCES – 21 – 23 September – 21:15, €15/€13
OTHER PERFORMANCES  – 22 & 23 September – 13:15, €15/€13
Venue – Project Arts Centre – Cube

Did you know we are all made of stars? It’s true and I know because Hannah said so in the opening monologue of her new production, which also happens to be called ‘Stars’. She repeats this opening monologue three times throughout the show, each in a slightly more dishevelled fashion, after her show starts to veer off course. You see, Hannah wanted to create something special, something that would make you laugh and cry, but somehow, she created a show with wiseguy Italian American gangster types, dogs that should have been put down, lovelorn sock puppets and even a doppelganger!

Hannah Mamalis is an actor and comedian. She is a regular with the Dreamgun ensemble, who are working their way through the popular movie canon from the 80s and 90s, with their rewrites. She is also responsible for A Symphony Of Worms, which was at the Fringe Festival in 2019, which dealt with her childhood and upbringing. This new production is not autobiographical in any sense and is based on comedy sketches with a variety of unusual characters.

The stage is simple, with a red curtain as a backdrop, which Hannah disappears behind between her sketches. She has a couple of costume changes and a few minor props, but she is the focus of the entire show with an hour of relatively high-octane comedy.

Over the course of the hour-long show, we meet a woman who has an unusual relationship with a sock puppet. We follow Clodagh on her visit to the HR department where she hears some difficult home truths! She has an unusual way of dealing with her coworkers which has caused a number of complaints. We meet a loveable but unwanted dog (Uncle Come?) and hear his sad tale. We meet an old cleaning lady who works at the Project Arts Centre. She seems very nice but also has a terrible secret. All these characters and more are on display in this production.

The comedy sketch show is an unusual format for the stage, and even more unusual for a solo performer. It’s extremely difficult for a performer to transform into all these characters at a moment’s notice, but Hannah seems to be in her element. There are also a couple of sections with audience interaction, where she prowls through the crowd, picking on unsuspecting individuals. If you don’t want to be involved, I suggest you avoid the front row! Hannah is a natural comic and has an impressive gift for accents. The characters are all damaged in some sense, with twisted views of the world. Expect the unexpected as we see the inside of Hannah’s mind!

Artist: Hannah Mamalis
Director: Ronan Carey
Lighting & Operator: Eimear Conroy
Additional Performer: Róisin McGuigan
Stage Crew: Finn & Cameron Moylan

Image:
Molly Keane