Novel Ideas – Dublin Fringe Festival – Review
by Brian Merriman

Venue: The Gutter Bookshop, Cow’s Lane, Dublin 2
Performed by Darren Yorke
Duration: 50 Minutes

Image Credit: Dean Ben Arye & Darren Yorke

When you walk into the Gutter Bookshop in Cow’s Lane, you are immediately met with that warm and embracing smell of new books. What better setting for this improvised work, which, according to the blurb, is designed to reach out to teen and LGBT+ audiences. There was nothing specific in the text, and indeed the sold-out audience consisted of adults (and one toddler) in a very good mood.

The Gutter Bookshop, where many stories are on the shelves, is unlikely to be stocking whatever the final outcome results from this creative process. The 50 minutes are mild and busy. There are ideas posted everywhere, aided and abetted by organised mayhem with a fine array of props and coloured post-its.

Our hapless writer (a likeable Darren Yorke) is mid writer’s block. He struggles to write a new novel, shredding disconnected ideas as the muse has clearly deserted him. We are there to fix it.

Yorke is an award-winning theatre-maker, multidisciplinary performer, and creative facilitator specialising in improvisation and participatory practice for young and old. He is currently engaged in the Six in the Attic residency programme with the Irish Theatre Institute. He has an endearing presence, but could do with raising the vocal levels more, even in this small venue.

There is a cellist to add mood, and the storyline that eventually and hesitantly evolves is poignant and emotive. His ambition in the time allowed is to write a chapter of a novel by using a formula. Using some of the words scattered on paper, he skilfully and humbly weaves a spontaneous tale.

The mood and tone are calm and consistent throughout. The plot is very thin while the performance is heavy with charm. The adult audience lapped up the gentle humour.