Performance in an Irish Context

This course takes students deep into the performance tradition of Irish theatre as they explore and learn to present the text, language and predominantly historical rural landscape of Irish playwrights including Friel, Beckett and Marina Carr. This experience will then be developed into the creation of personal research narratives for performance, drawing on a contrasting sense of place; the layered built and living urban architecture of Dublin's inner-city communities. This will be complemented by engagement with the political and social realities of the city as arena currently being undertaken by a site-specific theatre company.

The course aims to introduce students to, and guide them towards, an overall sense of the artist as actor, theatremaker and social agent via the personal, performative statement born and grown through the Manifesto process. By entering and enjoining a creative process, and under strong guidance from the primary tutor and various mentors, students work towards a final, fully crafted performance. Through a series of prompts and exercises, students are encouraged to discover their own subject matter, voice and style in theatrical terms. The module includes research, reflective practice, and elements of dramaturgical practice. The focus of the module is a journey of discovery through self-expression and performance-making under the assured and supportive oversight of professional practitioners from various areas of specialty.