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creating adventures with young people in Newbridge, Ireland since 1996
Kildare Young Filmmakers Project
October 3rd-November 21st 2010, The Liffey Studio
As part of our 2010 'Autumn Workshop' series, which hosted a long list of public workshops ranging from music, to dance, to theatre and everything in between, the Kildare Young Filmmakers Project brought together 12 young people aged between 14-22 to teach them the foundations of filmmaking.
Participants were brought through the process of planning, story-boarding, shooting, and editing, all using state-of-the-art technology and software. The workshops, which took place on a weekly basis for over a month, was led by Crooked House's film team, which help produce our trailers and promotional materials, as well as record our shows.
Mouth To Mouth [Crooked House Theatre]
23rd August - 4th September 2010, Projects Arts Centre, Temple Bar, Dublin
Following the monumental success of Laura Wade's Breathing Corpses in 2009, Crooked House performed the Irish premiere of Kevin Elyot's new play Mouth To Mouth for a fortnight at the Project Arts Centre in Dublin's Temple Bar
Mouth to Mouth is a modern ghost story, set among the middle class literati of London, and seen from the point-of-view of Frank, a gay playwright who wonders if he can write about the tragic events in his friends' lives to revive his flagging career in the theatre. One of his friends is the obsessively doting mother, Laura, whose son Philip Frank has saved from drowning. The story revolves around a horrific event that occurs at the homecoming party for young Philip, one year ago, and from which none of the characters have been able to recover.
It is a timely exploration of lust masquerading as love; multiple betrayals; and the morality of generating art from the personal tragedies of friends.
One of the performances was also attended by author Kevin Elyot, who provided a post-show discussion with the cast and audience.
"Crooked House Theatre Company are developing a reputation for staging difficult and narratively layered and complex modern drama. Following last year’s very successful Breathing Corpses, they have now put their skilful hands to Kevin Elyot’s funny and tragic drama Mouth to Mouth, a play about the absurd respectability of the middle classes in the light of personal despair and loneliness."
[...]
A play that is full of surprises, Mouth to Mouth manages to entertain fabulously yet at the same time ask serious questions. Director Peter Hussey excels in his ability to tease out performances that require intricacy and boldness combined with subtlety. In particular, Laura and Frank’s roles require a variety of tones and Hussey’s direction brings out these tones with edge and knowing. As evidenced by Mouth To Mouth, Crooked House are developing a mastery of light and dark that is, at a formal level, a joy to behold even when, paradoxically, the subject matter of the drama is of very tragic proportions.
-Patrick Brennan, Irish Examiner, 28th August 2010
“a tense meditation on the interplay between sex, death and morality … highly-charged examination of longing, regret and the corrosive power of things unspoken … this is memorable stuff"
-Daragh Reddin, Metro Herald, 26th August 2010
“A perfect intermeshing of comedy and drama … with outstanding characterization from the cast, all human life is here, poignant, hilarious, and ugly."
-John McKeown, The Irish Independent, 27th August 2010
Read the full list of Mouth to Mouth reviews here.
Mouth to Mouth
Mouth to Mouth
Mouth to Mouth
Mouth to Mouth
1/8
Supported by:
Watch a trailer for Mouth To Mouth here:
SURGE Festival 2010
19th-25th July 2010, Glasgow, Scotland
Scotland's SURGE Festival is a yearly event which involves the creation and promotion of street arts, physical theatre, and circus on the streets of Glasgow. It is organised by the SURGE group.
2010 was the festival's first year and involved the participation of Kildare Youth Theatre, who - alongside Mischief La Bas - devised a piece called Conflux Maximus
Conflux Maximus
23rd July 2010, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Scotland
For the 2010 SURGE Festival, Kildare Youth Theatre members devised at home a new play called Conflux Maximus.
Translated as the 'Greatest Confluence', the Roman-inspired Conflux Maximus involved charging down Glasgow's Buchanan Street with a crowd of about 60 people, as they rallied members of the public to join their march. This march culminated in a massive gathering at the Arches for a final 'gladiatorial showdown'.
The aim of Conflux Maximus and the SURGE Festival as a whole, was to shock and surprise Glaswegians by having these high-energy, spontaneous performances in the middle of the city.
Conflux Maximus was devised and performed by Sophia Ellis, Amy Quille, Molly Kiely, Eliza Kelly, Sarah Montunato, Anthony Davidson, Mary McDermott, and Thomas Hugh. It was directed by Peter Hussey.
8th Human Rights Youth Theatre Festival
13th-17th July 2010, The Moat Theatre, Naas
Following on from its success in previous years, the Human Rights Youth Theatre Festival, a festival spearheaded by Kildare Youth Theatre under Crooked House Theatre Company, entered its 8th year, and ran in The Moat Theatre, Naas from Tuesday 13th to Saturday 17th July.
The Human Rights Youth Theatre Festival brought together young people from all over Kildare to take part in workshops, perform plays and make new pieces of theatre inspired by human rights issues.
Participants in the 2010 festival came from Griese Youth
Theatre in Ballitore, Celbridge Youth Drama, and Kildare Youth Theatre to work for the week with professional theatre makers and human rights activists. The festival has always aimed to look at social and human rights, and this years’ theme was raising awareness on the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.
During the week, the participants partook in workshops, events, and talks which furthered the theme of the festival, as well as helped to foster a community amongst all the participants. These workshops included:
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Freedom of Expression – a voice workshop with Cathy White from Rough Magic
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Stand Up and Stand Out - a comedy workshop with Keith Millar from Kildare Youth Theatre
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Glee Club - a singing workshop with Eimear Crehan from Kildare Youth Theatre
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Cappoeira - a dance workshop with Danielle Boletto from Naçao Zumbai and Rachel Lally
In the afternoons, participants took part in more serious repeating workshops where the same groups met up every day. This was called the Generate Project. In this project, each of the three groups devised a piece of theatre based on what was explored and learned during the week. The work that was produced in these groups was presented on the final night in a special public showcase. These workshops were led by Peter Hussey and Keith Burke, both of Crooked House, as well as Michele Panella, Co-Artistic Director of Teatro della Limonaia in Florence.
In the evenings, fun and unique events, featuring all participants at once, were held. These included performances from new productions, such as Kildare Youth Theatre's Nuts, and Celbridge Youth Theatre's Teechers and Standard Hibernian International Televised News. Other events included talks from EU represetatives, Trish O' Rourke on the Palestinian Crises, Orla Quinn from Trócaire, as well as live events such as a talent show and the new 'Hydrogen' festival - a youth equivalent of the famous Irish 'Oxegen' concert, featuring young local Kildare bands.
The 8th Human Rights Youth Theatre Festival was funded by the Arts Council’s Small Festival Scheme and by the Communicating Europe Initiative of the Department of Foreign Affairs. Kind regards to The Moat Theatre Naas, whose entire space was used throughout the festival.
The Lieutenant of Inishmore
5th-8th May 2010, The Moat Theatre, Naas
In 2010, Kildare Youth Theatre brought arguably Martin McDonagh's most renowned screenplay, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, to the Moat Theatre for four nights.
The play follows the borderline psychotic and chaotic Thomas Padraic, who returns home to the quiet land of Inishmore, Co. Galway, after he is told his beloved cat, Thomas, is 'poorly'. Set during the tumultuous first steps of the Northern Irish peace process, Padraic is a man considered too dangerous and unpredictable for even the Irish Republican Army. Therefore, when it is revealed his cat has actually been brutally murdered, all hell breaks loose as Padraic begins a relentless campaign of violence and retribution in the name of his cat, Thomas.
McDonagh's quintessentially Irish play, written in 2001, is a brilliantly dark comedy which has toured the world.
This Lime Tree Bower
21st-24th April 2010, The Liffey Studio
CAST:
Joe - Ian Armstrong
Frank - Niall Moore
Ray - Vincent O'Reilly
PRODUCTION:
Director: Peter Hussey
Front of House: Deirdre O'Donnell, Louise Lonergan and Sarah Ellis
Conor MacPherson's This Lime Tree Bower tells the story of an extended family; Ray, Frank and Joe. Each character has their own story to tell.
Joe is a young teen facing the difficulties of becoming himself and finding his place in society. During this he becomes involved with a dangerous but compelling youth and must decide how far down this path he is willing to go.
Frank is always willing to lend a helping hand, be it in the family chipper or at the garage. When he sees an opportunity to set up his family for life he must decide if it's worth the risk of ruining his own.
Ray is a university lecturer on a downward personal spiral while trying to achieve his intellectual highs. When his personal recklessness threatens to destroy his personal life he is left with a choice which can make him or break him.
-An excerpt from News & Views, April 2010 edition. Written by Peter Hussey.
This Lime Tree Bower took place over five nights in Crooked House's newly-opened Liffey Studio.
Ian Armstrong (Joe) was 16 and had been in Kildare Youth Theatre for 5 years at the time of the show. He had previously featured in productions such as Proper Preggers and The Séance
Niall Moore (Frank) first joined Kildare Youth Theatre aged 15 and had just achieved a BA in Acting from Trinity College Dublin. Previous acted in Breathing Corpses.
Vincent O'Reilly first joined Kildare Youth Theatre aged 16 and featured in a long list of our productions. He founded Sheer Tantrum Theatre Company three years before the production.
NT Connections Festival 2010
22nd-24th March 2010, Moat Theatre, Naas
The National Theatre's Connections project consists of annual, specially written pieces for young actors across the UK & Ireland by leading British, Irish and international playwrights. The plays usually deal with edgy, political subject-matter in uncompromising and honest productions.
In the rare lapse of no new plays for the 2010 season, Kildare Youth Theatre instead performed classical Connections plays with all new casts. They were Sharman MacDonald's After Juliet and Fausto Paravidino's Nuts from Connections 2001 and 2002 respectively. This brought our total Connection performances to 27, with the two plays taking part back-to-back over three days.
Read more about the two plays below.
After Juliet
8PM 22nd-24th March 2010, Moat Theatre, Naas
After Juliet, written by Scottish playwright Sharman Mac Donald for the 2001 NT Connections festival, is a pseudo-sequel to William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, a play Kildare Youth Theatre has performed on many different occasions.
After Juliet asks the question of what happens to the warring families of the Capulets and Montagues after Romeo and Juliet's deaths. Although based on Shakespeare's work, After Juliet features a much more timeless approach, and is not strictly bound to the 1500's like the former often is.
CAST:
The Montagues:
Benvolio: Garham Oates
Valentine: Colm Ivers
The Capulets:
Rosaline: Louise Lonergan
Bianca: Amy Quille
Helena: Niamh O'Rourke
Livia: Sarah Murdock
Lorenzo: Paul Miller
Giani: John Cleary
Petruchio: Niall Moore
The Drummer: Sean Reid
The Musician: Jay Suen
The Nurse: Niall Linton
Directed by: Vincent O'Reilly
Lighting: Colim Ivers & Keith Burke
Nuts
22nd-24th March 2010, Moat Theatre, Naas
Nuts by Italian playwright Fausto Paravidino (originally Noccioline and translated by Luca Scarlini) was first commissioned for the 2002 National Theatre Connections festival.
Nuts was written in ten days in 2002 after events in Genoa during the tumultuous G8 meeting there in July. A 20 year old policeman killed a 20 year old protestor during the now famous demonstrations in Genoa. The court case, involving hundreds of young people giving evidence about being detained and victimised, was still proceeding in Italy at the time of this production.
Paravidino uses the cartoon-strip characters in Peanuts as a thematic structure to talk about a seemingly innocent series of events involving gate-crashers in a house. Abuses are permitted to happen, at many levels. Betrayals, denials and a fear of commitment to a cause result in the owners son forcing the protagonist Buddy to an action that demeans him.
Ten years later the characters have grown up but they retain the status they had as teenagers. Their lack of commitment to the principles of democracy - not to mention socialism - have permitted the most appalling abuses to occur in the state. They are responsible - and they are the victims.
The play concludes back where it started, at the house - at the moment when the teenagers could've made a difference.
This production of Nuts was first performed in 2008, and was later performed in 2011 in Edinburgh, Scotland.
CAST:
Buddy: Ian Armstrong
Cindy: Eliza Kelly
Minus: Jack Tinsley
Piggy: Marc Tuffy
Girl: Mary Kiely
Silly: Amy Quille
Party: Jenni Ryan
Snappy: Emmet Faherty
Magda: Sophia Ellis
Woodschlock: Kenny Stapleton
Schreker: Garry O'Reilly
PRODUCTION:
Directed by: Peter Hussey
Set crafted by: John Kelly & Jack Tinsley
With thanks to: Thomas O'Driscoll, Colm Ivers, Jim Ivers, Bren Cummins, Keith Burke & Ricky Ellis.
Listen to an interview about After Juliet and Nuts on Kildare FM featuring cast members from the shows below:
Lipstick Garden
March 8th 2010, Offices of the European Commission, Dublin
Lipstick Garden was specially commissioned by the National Women's Council ofIreland (NWCI) as a theatre piece to be performed on 8th March 2010 to mark the launch of Kat Banyard's book 'The Equality Illusion' on International Women's Day.
An ensemble of young theatre makers from primarily Kildare Youth Theatre's new 'Trapped Radicals' Ensemble explored the illusion of gender equality from their perspectives. They researched stories, used their own experiences and incorporatde documentary evidence that showed there was much work still to be done to change attitudes towards women in Ireland. The piece will be a mix of short scenes; dance and physical theatre; movement to recorded interviews; some monologues and performed texts.
These elements, which stringed together to form a single piece, were performed in the Offices of the European Commission in Dublin. A recorded version, set in our Liffey Studio was also produced and can be watched above.
Lipstick Garden was funded by the National Women's Council of Ireland.
Curragh Intergenerational Drama Project 2010
January - June 2010, Curragh Army Barracks
The Curragh Intergenerational Drama Project was an initiative principally between Kildare Youth Services, Crooked House Theatre Company and the Curragh Pride Resource Centre which aimed to use theatre to increase inter- and intra-generational understanding and respect in the Curragh community.
The Curragh Army Barracks, merely a few kilometres from Newbridge is considered a designated disadvantaged area under the Government of Ireland's DEIS scheme. This disadvantage manifests itself in terms of poor housing, early school leaving, drug and alcohol abuse, unemployment, young mothers, lack of further education and prospects for the future. The Curragh Youth Project - a division of the Intergenerational project which was led by Crooked House - aimed to engage young people through fun and creative activities, build their capacity (knowledge, feelings and skills), which will enable them to challenge the injustices that exist for them in this society.
In total the Curragh Youth Project worked with over 125 teenagers and young adults from the surrounding area, throughout much of 2010 - providing them with new artistic opportunities.
The 2010 Curragh Intergenerational Drama Project was funded by the Health Service Executive's National Lottery Grant Scheme. Following it's massive success, the Curragh Drama Project returned for the 2010-2011 season, and can be viewed on our 2011 archive.
![Crooked House Logo(Black)[1].PNG](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/02dbaa_29e02036752c4beba827f3869cd2660c.png/v1/fill/w_56,h_112,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_3,enc_auto/Crooked%20House%20Logo(Black)%5B1%5D_PNG.png)
Out O Vit!
June 2010, Curragh Army Barracks
Over the course of twenty workshops, from January to June 2010, locals aged between 14-21 and based in the old Curragh Barracks and the surrounding areas were given the opportunity to engage with one another through theatre - learning and understanding the issues which face their rural community, and working together to find ways to tackle these communal issues.
Some of these issues included a lack of facilities in the area, negative pressures on young people and relationships posed there. The workshops and these themes explored, culminated in a live theatre performance in June 2010 called Out O Vit! - a play on the regional pronunciation of the saying "Out of It!".
For all of the cast, this was their first time to engage with public speaking and theatre simultaneously. Many of those who performed in Out O Vit! went on to join us at Kildare Youth Theatre.
Miscellaneous
See below a highlight of some other moments for us in 2010
Kildare Youth Theatre was featured in St Conleth's parish's seasonal magazine, News & Views.
A section was written on three of our most major productions in 2010, After Juliet, Nuts and Proper Preggers.
Attached is the full piece.
Proper Preggers was performed in March of 2010 was first performed in the winter of 2009. To read more about Proper Preggers, visit our 2009 archive.
Are you male or female?
Where do you live?
How many years have you been a member for?
Are you male or female?
1/4
Ever wanted a breakdown of our membership statistics?
Look no further than this survey compiled by Artistic Director Peter Hussey in April of 2010.
Check out our gender distribution, age and location spread, as well as how long have people been participating in our projects for.
Other questions from the survey have been removed to keep it anonymous.
In August 2010, Artistic Director Peter Hussey and Youth Facilitator Rachel lally worked in a unique scheme with Laois County Council to bring drama workshops with two groups of children from the Kilbrook estate in Tullamore to explore their sense of place, foster community pride, and develop their life skills.
Two groups of children, one aged 4-7 and the other 8-12 were taught basic drama and workshop skills, through providing a 'safe-space' where they were free to express themselves and their feelings. The objective of the project was to harness the community spirit the Kilbrook estate has, and use theatre to express this through a short, public performance.
A total of 22 children aged between 6-13 attended the workshops. Here, they partook in team-building exercises as well as engaging in storytelling and image-based techniques. The children demonstrated strong imaginations with vivid imagery, and a medieval-style piece was created where the brave and intelligent King Arthur had to overcome the evil Cedric.
Facilitator Rachel Lally noted how strong community spirit was among the kids, with the more confident kids helping the shyer ones, older supporting younger and so forth. And although some parents were not initially interested or showed much dedication, it was in the final live performance that they realised the enjoyment and satisfaction their kids received from participating in the project.
These unique workshops, using theatre to enhance community spirit amongst youth, was funded by the Arts Council's Youth Arts Scheme as well as Laois County Council.
![Crooked House Logo(Black)[1].PNG](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/02dbaa_29e02036752c4beba827f3869cd2660c.png/v1/fill/w_61,h_123,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_3,enc_auto/Crooked%20House%20Logo(Black)%5B1%5D_PNG.png)
Show Us Your Teeth was a series of weekly events which formed an 'alternative niteclub' for the Kildare area.
Organised, led and participated by Kildare Youth Theatre members, Show Us Your Teeth, also simply called Teeth was a venue for young Kildare teenagers to hangout and enjoy alcohol-free events for an affordable price. Teeth was a response to a lack of nighttime venues for the youth of Kildare, which did not involve drink.
Events which took place at Teeth involved special dress nights such as Emo Night, Fright Night and a Drag Ball, as well as an Open Mike where people could perform and show their talents to a live audience.
Teeth lasted for the summer month of August and entrance to each event was only €10. Non-alcoholic refreshments and snacks, as well as plenty of craic was served.
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