MU Drama’s Debs Festival Roundup Two

Dungeons and Debs

Written and directed by Finley Gallagher and Terence Arones

“Minutes before his execution, the Bard is racing to say anything that might buy him some more time.”

If the trial of Socrates had a sense of humour and much more charm; Dungeons and Debs, directed by Finley Gallagher and Terence Arones, who took home Best Director at the Drama Society’s Debs and One Acts Awards. Set during medieval times, we see a MacGyver-type bandit face execution for a number of crimes, from arson to impersonating the King. With satirical humour laden throughout, the dialogue must be praised. The back-and-forth between the frustrated Announcer, played by Kayla Curran Mahon, and Luke McMahon’s frantically pleading Bard, sets a comical tone.

The main source of comedy within the witty play, was at the expense of the King’s Announcer - who constantly finds themself getting tripped up by their own logic, or flat-out insulted by the Bard and his Lawyer, (Caoilainn McNeil). The character's pedantic nature made them a character that the audience loved to hate. Getting booed off the stage whilst in-character then cheered during their bow, McMahon’s acting was definitely one of my favourite facets of the Debutante festival overall.

The light-hearted nature of the play quickly fades as the Bard realises that he cannot talk his way out of this caper when his Executioner, played by Aidan O'Donohoe, comes around to deliver his fate. I personally thought the shift in mood was executed well, with the Bard’s jovial tone flattening and the stage being enveloped in a deep crimson light, underscoring the danger McMahon’s Bard was in.

Dungeons and Debs ends on a sombre note, with the Bard finally confronting himself, acknowledging his rogue-like ways, admitting that his friends are better off without him, and accepting his death. I was half-expecting the character to receive a pardon or pull off a daring escape, though this never happened. I applaud the directors for giving the anti-hero a cutting ending, finally answering for his crimes, leaving the audience on a colder note than most of the other plays.

Love You To Death

Written and directed by Áine McGowan

“Love You To Death follows a miserable couple who have both given up on their marriage, though they’ve neglected to mention that to each other because let’s be honest, communication is overrated. With each of them plotting the other’s downfall, what will happen when the truth begins to unravel?”

A bizarre love hexagon, Love You To Death follows couple Saoirse and Tadgh, played by Maebh Ryan and Jace-Tendo Serwadda, in the death-throes of their marriage. The first scene opens with an argument between the pair, with both of them accusing the other of not paying attention to their needs, leading to Serwadda storming out to meet his mistress in a fancy restaurant. The opening scene did well to show the built-up tension between the couple, which itself becomes a third person within the marriage, standing between the two.

In the next scene, a strange back-and-forth occurs between Serwadda’s Tadgh and a waiter character, played by Elliot O Driscoll, who refuses to seat him at first. Admittedly, I was confused as to the relevancy of this exchange within the plot, both because the reason behind the hostilities between the characters is never explained and also because of Serwadda turning to the audience and mocking the customer service in a sudden fourth-wall break.

The audience quickly learns that Ryan’s character is also cheating, as she invites the character of Liam, portrayed by Amy Connolly, a player who unbeknownst to Saoirse is involved with multiple other women. This is illustrated to the audience in the form of a simulated phone call, where he is called out on his ludicrously absurd excuses for missing out on a date with another woman. Saoirse invites him over for dinner, this scene in particular contained what I thought was the stand-out line of the play when Saoirse offers, “let’s do a house tour, we can start with the bedroom”. The forwardness of the line and the not-so-subtle implications of it emphasises the themes of risky adultery, an example of expert writing by McGowen and great delivery by Ryan. Being one of the only Debutant plays to feature a fight scene, this is how we see the lovers’ quarrel settled. Tadgh returns with his mistress to enact a plot to trick Saoirse into divorce and catches her with Connolly’s Liam, igniting an exciting, violent confrontation.

Chaos follows; the furious husband kills his wife’s lover in a jealous rage, while the scorned wife, refusing to accept her husband desires another, kills his mistress in equal brutality. Standing over their respective victims, Saoirse and Tadgh find themselves in their living room once again, although this time is it clear their love has been rekindled, as they realise the murderous lengths they’ll go for one another and embrace. The stage light then dims, ending the play. Love You to Death was a profoundly enjoyable play thanks to the comedic acting from the entire cast which prevented the play from coming off like a revenge fantasy, an interesting take on how far a couple will go to preserve their relationship.

Congratulations to Connolly and all those who played the numerous girlfriends of Liam, who won Best Character Group at the MU Drama Awards.

Matters Arising

Written and directed by Sheilagh Noonan

“A committee unravels when their President returns from a trip to find the others woefully underprepared.”

A 7-way argument, a shouting match where nobody is heard, Matters Arising takes place during the fictional Florist society's weekly committee meeting, and there is quite the agenda to discuss among the MU Drama Ensemble Award-winning cast. The meeting quickly unravels due to what I found worked best in Matters Arising: all the different personalities of the characters.

The most dominating presence is theP resident, played by Alison Cameron, who lambasts the rest of her committee for their lack of preparation for their big yearly event. As the clear villain of the story, I felt sympathy for the other committee members as I seen how poorly the President treats those she relies on. Matters Arising was unique, having the main character being inherently unlikable, this worked well as the President’s personality created a layered contrast within the characters of the play.

Crucially, Matters Arising never allows either its characters or the audience a moment of relief. The argument escalates relentlessly, becoming the force that drives the play forward, filled with interruptions, overlapping dialogue, and snide personal remarks throughout. Noonan’s writing creates a deafening, claustrophobic atmosphere, but my favourite line of dialogue was a quiet, aside comment about how the committee still hasn’t figured out why Pride society keeps talking to them about lavender-with the Florist society not realising they aren’t talking about the flower.

While I do think that being on the committee of a society heightened my own personal enjoyment of the play, those without that experience may struggle to understand certain aspects of the play, such as the terminology referring to the many different roles of the characters, such as First-Year Representative, played by Kelsey Hickey, or Public Relations Officer, played by Elena Rodriguez. I’d be lying if I said that it wasn’t accurate in showing the volatile nature of organising a society event, which is Matters Arising greatest strength.

I'd like to congratulate everyone involved in the production and performance of the Debutante festival and give thanks to MU Drama for the invitation to review the plays.