As a Yelp Elite member, I was invited to attend a headline performance of MythFest 2014, "The Sorrows." As I walked through the main gates of Trinity College, I was reminded of the last time I attended a theatrical performance there. It was 25 years ago when I enjoyed a summer program at Trinity. One afternoon, I noticed that a student production that was just about to start. When I entered the small theater's foyer, there were slabs of rustic bread slathered with butter and sprinkled with grated cheese served with, of course, mugs of steaming tea. As I settled into the intimate seating area, I thought how very inviting it was to have a treat allowed in the theater. The plot was based on an Irish tale about Dierdre and Naoise, with just two cast members who wore historic-looking dress and acted out a plot that called to mind Romeo and Juliette. I never forgot those names: Dierdre and Naoise, and I never forgot that experience, either. Therefore, I was happy to return to Trinity to see what was on the theatrical menu for this evening. As the cast came out and spoke to the audience about the play, the name "Dierdre" was mentioned. It gave me a bit of a start, but it took a few minutes before I understood that the subject of "The Sorrows" was, in fact, a contemporary adaptation of Dierdre's story with Naoise. What a strange coincidence. For me, the play emphasized those 25 years that have passed, but certainly not in a negative way. After this lengthy background/context to my review, I begin properly with this evening's production: I firmly believe that much of one's experience of a cultural event is based on the total experience - the setting, interactions with staff, the seating, refreshments, and yes, even the bathrooms. There is something very special about walking through the gates of Trinity College, like walking down an ancient Babylonian Processional Way. If you allow it, it shifts your mindset away from the bustle of the city streets beyond. As another counterpoint, the outdoor Rose Garden theater setting itself felt drenched in nature, with leafy trees and rich green grass composing the "set." Props were actually hung in trees. It felt like the right setting for a mythological exploration. The script and production, however, questioned and re-contextualized myth today. The Deirdre myth(s) took on a hip, fun, and iterative quality as the notion of "myth" breathed fresh air through imagining it as set at a Trinity Ball in 2014. One of the qualities of myths is that they do not have a single meaning nor interpretation, and so the dialog offered multiple perspectives, interpretations, and beliefs about exactly what happened, with the seven cast members acting almost like seven witnesses to a crime, where each one saw or thought something completely different. It came across as a post modern or deconstructavist take on an ancient myth that can be seen as an experience today. Playfully, the three men and four women each were Deirdre and each were Naoise, and all played witnesses to the events that took place between those two protagonists and also with Connor, who in this context was a Trinity Lecturer and romantic interest for Deirdre. Does it sound a bit confusing? During the 45-minute performance, it was actually quite easy to follow the story (kudos to the writers, Shaun Dunne and Claire O'Reilly, and the Director, Patrick Culhane), but at the beginning, this multiple-storytelling did take a little while to get through the introduction of the characters and initial plot. Also, it came across as a little too self-referential to set the story at Trinity, feature student-aged characters who plot-wise attended the Trinity Ball, and to also stage the play at Trinity. This may have an exclusionary affect (though I'm sure this is not the desire) upon the intended audience outside of Trinity College students or parents of Trinity College students. Still, this production sparkled with liveliness, which seems to be one of the goals: to feel the breathing relevance of mythology today. The cast glowed with youth and vigor as they sang (not too much, but yes, sang), chorused, dashed about, and otherwise delivered performances with an ease and precision that reflected the intentional stylization of the play. In the end, "The Sorrows" was serious in its purpose to revisit mythology and to ask the audience to recognize myth's relevance today, it was lighthearted and contemporary in some of its dialog and musical choices, and it was quite satisfying, actually. Even in my own, very personal experience, thinking about my first introduction to Deirdre and Naoise at Trinity 25 years ago to my re-introduction in a very different way tonight, I feel privileged to have been given the opportunity to think about this particular myth as it has been part of my memory and my experience of Ireland over time. read more

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Wow. Clever, hilarious, enthralling, and surprisingly for a re-telling of an old myth, unpredictable. I won't go into details of what happens when, but suffice to say that there is an ongoing tangle between past and present in a way I don't recall ever seeing before. The venue too lends a real air of mysticism and history; and beauty too - I'm making a note to go back to the Rose Garden someday on my own and chill within it's gorgeous walls, underneath the huge sprawling tree. There's one night left at the time of writing this review, and I would encourage anyone who has the hour to spare to go check out the inspiring future of theatre in Ireland. read more

Mythfest - Festivals Near Me - Dublin, D

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An interesting take on modern folklore and the concept of mythology. The stage is the Rose Garden at Trinity College, which, on a sunny evening makes the perfect backdrop to the story the actors weave. If you're bored of the usual routine, this is a great way to break it up! For €12, it won't break the bank, and the show has a bite-sized running time of 45 minutes, so there's still plenty of time to meet your friends at the (same old) pub afterwards! read more

Mythfest - The stage - Festivals Near Me - Dublin, D

Went along for the Unquiet Hour, a cute and fresh play about the fairy world. First of all, it's a a nice use of the surrounding space - the Trinity College gardens - and it's always interesting when you start being immersed in the play even before you've got your ticket. As you walked by you could see the cast running around and playing amid the trees, spiking your curiosity about what would come next... Good acting with a couple of charming performances, and a resourceful use of the cast and their scarce "stage" material to compose scenes, moods and even small choreographies, were enough to transport us into a different dimension. Displaying a range of emotions from childish wonder and giddiness to small bouts of despair, this portrait of fairies was mystical and endearing, finishing with a quizzical hypothesis: Maybe there's one of them sitting right next to you? read more

Mythfest - Festivals Near Me - Dublin, D

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Spectacular work by all within an extraordinary setting. Worth seeing and would see again! Bravo! read more

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The Unquiet Hour was a magical performance by some very gifted & talented actors. The stage was in the Front Square in Trinity College, a beautiful place unto itself. We were fortunate that there was no rain and the sun was shining for most of the performance. The play is out-there, trippy & unlike anything you'll have seen before. The actors were captivating and were just absolutely a joy to watch, I was blown away that acting this good was in front of me. I'm not going to say much more as that would ruin the experience but you should definitely go and check this performance out. It'll leave you feeling bamboozled and confused and ever so slightly magical. I'll definitely be returning next year to see what other mischief these guys will concoct for us. read more

Mythfest - The Unquiet Hour - Festivals Near Me - Dublin, D

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Thanks to Emily for setting up a ticket for me to Mythfest tonight. Mythfest takes place in Trinity College and appears to have a lot of various plays on in the grounds. I got a ticket to see a play about fairies, something that matched the location to the play! Such talented young people were on show tonight. A truly mystical evening was had by all. The play itself revolved around fairies in this world and the next and was centered with music and poetry and dancing. All in all a a great night! Go and watch it! Or try out some of the other plays and shows. read more

Mythfest - Fairies in Trinity College - Festivals Near Me - Dublin, D

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It was a great event. That's was only the second time I went to some kind of screenplay in Dublin and I really enjoyed. I got there early and at first I though the attendance was going to be low but I surprised when I saw some people queuing at the entrance just before 7pm! The place was not crowed but the attendance was OK. The play itself was really good. The actors - very young and talented - were at their best. I loved their colorful figurine. I am always impressed how actresses and actors can memorise that amount of lines...! My artistic side is not developed at all haha The screenplay was about one hour long and it was about fairies struggles to help or not humans. It was part of a week long festival at TCD. So if you have time it is definitelly worth to check what else is going on at the festival this week =) read more

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I wasn't entirely sure what I was popping along to by the description - my Yeats is rusty to say the least - but the sun shone and warm weather was a great addition to The Unquiet Hour performance. Sitting smack bang in the middle of one of the most history-soaked educational hubs of the city, we were greeted by a number of colourfully-dressed actors playing in a child-like manner as we were told safety procedures and phone etiquette. The show that unfolded, was slow at the beginning, poetic (well, yeah - Yeats, right? WB's not known as a slouch.) and was punctuated by soft whimsical music, played by the performers themselves. This lifted the piece right up, and, teamed with the actors range and the physical blocking of the piece, gave TUH a surprising level of depth and a unique feel. read more

Mythfest - The Unquiet Hour; a great performance! - Festivals Near Me - Dublin, D

This surprised me in a pleasant way. Went along to the unquiet hour knowing only that it was a story telling themed event, and that it was about faeries. What I was not expecting was a very theatrical rendition about the intersection between the faery and human worlds, and that's all I'll say so as not to give away the story. In short, the dramatic way in which the story was presented was enthralling, the actors were very professional and held the complex lines and theatrality consistent throughout the hour and no performer or segment was a let down. It all flowed very well and captured well the magic of the faery world in a way that made you wish you had your own faery to look after you. Costumes were colourful yet perfectly understated such that you had to use your imagination and let the performance guide you into that magical world, what a delight! The setting, outdoors on the lawns of trinity, added to the vibe of the story as you weren't couped up inside trying to imagine the greater world where faeries and humans coincide (lucky the weather played along nicely too). In all, the performers, the music, the costumes, the venue, it all came together for an enjoyable evening which brought the story of the faeries to life in a vivid and fantastical way. Top event, glad I went! read more

Mythfest - Festivals Near Me - Dublin, D

I was simply amazed by this play. The weather was good and in some moments the sunlight was shining over the actors, Trinity College as a setting was beautiful and the lines spoken were involving and charming, full of meaning and character. The play was a version of the book "Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry" by the Irish poet W. B. Yeats. I'd never heard of such a book before and now I have even downloaded it to read it later - if you are intrigued, just let me know and I can pass it on! In general, Irish culture is full of magical legends so I was expecting some sort of fairy world acted live as I knew the author wanted to preserve the Celtic identity via folklore. For those watching, fairies were playing with each other in what seemed to be a conflict in between the realism and the sadness of the real world of humans and the eternal delight and happiness of the fantasy world of fairies. Some lines were full of essence such as "if I don't ever see horror how can I value happiness?" "Is the loss of memory what makes you happy as you would only live in the very present?" "She was the most fascinating thing I ever saw, the only book I ever wanted to read" "Learning is great; it only takes a minute to be interested and a whole lifetime of being interesting", and so on. Definitely worth checking the play or even reading the book! read more

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I have only been to the performance of the play "The Sorrows" The play was well acted, scripted and directed. As someone who is new to Ireland, I didn't know much about Deirdre and Irish myths around her, Its nice to know it from a fresh perspective. But may be knowing the story beforehand one could relate better. The setting in the Rose Garden in Trinity is perfect. Would love to come back on my own for that. Will be back next year for the entire Myth festival and learn more... read more

I was delighted to be invited along to see the headline performance this years Mythfest "The Unquiet Hour" Set in the front square of Trinity under the magnificent arches, the open air performance was a new experience for me. I thought the performers did a great job, I loved the concept of the play, I was a little confused at times but I left with some lovely thoughts including "the real colours are within you" and "you must recognise horror to realise happiness" and I wasn't expecting to learn lessons :) The actors voices carried well despite the open air and I thought their enthusiasm really showed through. I still believe in Faeries! Special thanks for the glass of wine and nibbles after in the Players Theatre, a lovely finish to an unusual but pleasant evening. read more

This part of the festival wasn't really my cup of tea if I'm honest but I could appreciate it for what it was and how others may have enjoyed it. It was very brave to attempt this space outside in the open. If it had started raining I would have left and I am sure others would have too. Maybe some sort of a tent given the space is not that big may be wise considering our country's wet nature! The acoustics were pretty good considering. It was a little irritating when loads tourists and students were passing by. I think this was probably my major issue with the event. I could not 100% concentrate on what was going on with the cast when there was so much distraction behind me. Overall it was an interesting experience and a unique one and would recommend people to go check it out. read more

10 out of 10 for the bravery of having a theatrical event outdoors in Ireland! The setting was beautiful, utilising Trinity's main arch to frame the performance, and engaging the audience from the moment we arrived to the very end. I did find the play slightly overlong and at times confusing, but the enthusiastic cast were very engaging, with a stand out turn by one cast member in particular who conveyed a palpable distress. It was a piece that seemed to draw from a number of folk tales which did at times make the piece feel somewhat disjointed, and I felt compelled to dock a star as a result, and as a performer, albeit in a different field, I do harshly appraise things such as costuming, knowing as I do how much can be done with €10 and access to a sewing machine! The acoustics were surprisingly good, as upon seeing the set up I feared that I would not be able to hear the actors, but my worries were unfounded, All in an interesting way to spend an evening, and it has compelled me to look further into the offerings of Myth Fest 2015 read more

As new yelp elite I was invited to review the opening night of mythfest's headline performance, the unquiet hour. I arrived a little confused (having been to trinity before and not noticed an open air grandstand nor noticed where one might appear..!) and rather grumpy after a very long Wednesday- but an hour later I left feeling utterly charmed. This performance was a delightful imagining of the world of faeries, of things not quite seen and almost heard and the space 'between rolling over and dreaming". A beautiful tale of two worlds and the movements between them, this play reminded me of the joyous way a child sees the world and the magic in it. A delight, all the more magical in such a stunning courtyard (although perhaps you might need to try harder to find the wonder had it been raining- we were very lucky!) read more

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Although I hate when people do this, if someone was to ask me out of 10 what I'd give Mythfest (or more specifically their performance of "Sorrows") I think I might just say 11. The actors had me utterly captivated from start to finish, they had some great lines and achieved the perfect mix of funny, creative and weird. The setting was absolutely stunning as well, Trinity should really try to make more use out of this little rose garden, it looks like it belongs in a Pride and Prejudice proposal scene!... Really glad I managed to catch their second-last performance, I'll be raving about it till next year. read more

A place between rolling over in dreams is where we find the world of the faeries and the young actors portraying this hour long show done a great job in keeping the audience enthralled with their poetry and acting. It was a bit hard to concentrate at times. There were people talking loudly outside of the stage and a few times i lost the meaning of what was going on. However one or two of the actors were riveting especially the faerie/human that portrayed a nervous wanderer between the two worlds. The show took place in the beautiful front square within Trinity college under the Arches with statues of Ireland's saints and Scholars above watching down on us. The show was outdoor and got a bit chilly by the end but thankfully it didn't rain! We were invited afterwards to the Players theatre where we were supplied with glasses of wine and Canapes! A lovely end to an interesting evening and Mythfest has made me interested in finding out more about Ireland's folklore and literary writers of the past. read more

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I haven't been to the Mythfest before so I was intrigued what it will be like. We went to the the main show - The Unquiet Hour, which is actually about an hour long. I had understood that it's in a tent on the Front square but seeing the evenings are still quite fresh these days I was glad to had a rather warmer coat and scarf with me - especially as it turned out to be simply outside. We were lucky it stayed dry and only in the end became cooler. i didn't envy the player though, some of them in short sleeves. I was surprised how well the set up worked actually. They used very minimalist props but incorporated the Campanile which was very suited for the play. And despite not using any PA it wasnt too difficult to understand everything. Well, I missed the odd sentence but that didn't take away from the enjoyment. They managed to bring me into the world between the living and the elves easily and kept me captivated for the whole duration. Yes, at times it was a bit confusing and I tried a couple of times to figure out what was happening / why it was happening. But in the end I didn't mind that confusion because who can say thinking of elves isn't confusing. And kudos to the player for their coordination and acting skills. Just a pity I don't live closer to town to have a look at the other events on during Mythfest. read more

Could not think of a more perfect setting than the Rose Garden in Trinity on a sunny June evening. The sorrows is well worth popping along to and the other plays all sound really interesting. Great to see Irish myths being made relevant and accessible. Fantastic experience all around ! read more

Another great Yelp promoted event! We came to see "The Sorrows" play - the setting was just perfect, a theatre in a small intimate garden in Trinity college. Consisting of young talents, It was just so cute, witty and funny! Wish I had some more time to explore the entire festival. read more