Last week, in the space of just three days, Galway Arts Festival opened two shows on either side of the Atlantic Ocean in two of the world’s leading theatre cities, London and Chicago.
Riverrun, written and directed by Olwen Fouéré, a co-production with The Emergency Room, which was the hit show of Galway Arts Festival 2013 opened at the National Theatre in London. The world premiere of Chapatti by Galway playwright Christian O’Reilly took place in Chicago, in a co-production with Northlight Theatre, starring John Mahoney of TV's Frasier and Penny Slusher. Both shows were enthusiastically received by audiences and critics receiving standing ovations and over a dozen superb reviews.
Writing in the Chicago Sun Times Hedy Weiss commented on actors John Mahoney and Penny Slusher’s performances as
'nothing less than a master class in acting… the special chemistry between them that is all but irresistible.'
In his Chicago Theatre Review Chris Douglas lavished praise on the production stating, ‘BJ Jones has beautifully and sensitively directed this exquisite dramatic pas de deux’ while admiring the play’s ‘superbly accomplished actors, John Mahoney and Penny Slusher.’ Douglas added that O'Reilly's Chapatti...'will soon become a staple in theatres the world over.'
The Chicago Tribune’s Chris Jones praised playwright Christian O’Reilly’s ‘real charm and intelligence….very compassionate new piece of writing…on its way back to the Galway Arts Festival, where I suspect it will be very warmly received,’ while Chicagoland Theatre’s critic Dan Zeff wrote ‘B. J. Jones directs the play with enormous understanding and sensitivity. It’s hard to imagine two performances more perfectly attuned to the nuances of their characters….the audience is in for a pretty magical evening.’
Riverrun, directed and performed by Olwen Fouéré who also adapted the script from James Joyce's Finnegans Wake, received an amazing response in London at the National Theatre’s new venue The Shed. The National Theatre is one of the most prestigious theatres in the world and Riverrun marks the Festival's second visit to the National following Misterman in 2012.
The Times' Kate Bassett, who writes glowingly of the production, states ‘Fouéré makes the Wake electrifying and entertaining’ while Paul Taylor in The Independent refers to Riverrun as an ‘extraordinary adaptation of Finnegans Wake’ going on to describe Fouéré’s performance as ‘a prodigious feat.’ In an excellent review of the production for The Observer's Kate Kellaway admires Fouéré performance as ‘an extraordinary tour de force.’
The Daily Telegraph’s Jane Shilling wrote
'Olwen Fouere's bold drama is as funny as it is exhilarating’
with the Financial Times’ Matt Trueman taken by Fouéré’s ‘hypnotic interpretation of Joyce. You simply ride the show’s flow, entranced.’ The Guardian’s Maddy Costa who lavished praise on the production describes Riverrun as 'An inexorable rush of thought and idea, full of mystery and marvel like the great novel that inspired it.’'
Riverrun the Festival’s co-production with The Emergency Room runs at the National Theatre, London until 22 March. The Festival's co-production with Northlight Theatre of Christian O'Reilly’s Chapatti plays Chicago until 13 April and can be seen during Galway Arts Festival at the Town Hall Theatre, Galway from 15–27 July.
Tickets are on sale at www.giaf.ie or through the Town Hall Theatre on +353 91 569 777.
