Freeing up the stage

We had the Absolut Fringe Festival in September and we were just getting over the Ulster Bank Theatre Festival. Before everybody began to suffer organised theatrical withdrawal symptoms however, The Theatre Machine Turns You On came, saw and conquered.

The concept was familiar to some with the title being borrowed from that of The Rock Machine Turns You On, an underground, controversial and entirely alternative event that ran in the 60s where prolific new music acts took to the stage and made it their own. With no money and no rules The Rock Machine influenced a whole generation of music lovers and the Theatre Machine did the exact same thing.

Lead by THEATREclub, with support and resources provided by the Project Arts Centre and Exchange Dublin, this new DIY Festival aimed to make its audience feel - with organised chaos and manic ambition - exactly how they felt when they bought their first record.

THEATREclub consists of Grace Dyas, Shane Byrne and Doireann Coady. They are a new Dublin based theatre company that are fresh from success having won the prestigious Fishamble Award for Best New Writing at this year’s Fringe. They are the curators of this movement and have done so with much in mind.

“We wanted to give young theatre artists like ourselves the opportunity to get their work up an out there on a great stage with no restrictions and no financial budget or burden. It’s an amazing opportunity for all involved.” says Dyas

All artists involved met at Exchange Dublin, a new organisation that operates an all age but no alcohol policy. The space is just outside of Temple Bar and offers a giant range of free services with the main prerogative being to break from the culture of competition.

This open public space encourages people to exchange thoughts, words, art and media through any of the groups within including Exchange Theatre, Exchange Aesthetics and Exchange Gael.

Organisations such as Exchange and The Theatre Machine highlight the general consensus amongst artists out there to get up and make do. This comes despite numerous setbacks and complete slashing of artist funding courtesy of the economic downturn.

Money is no obstacle according to Dyas: “It was done on the cheap but the standards were still definitely there and I think people found it quite refreshing - especially cost wise in contrast to the Ulster Bank Theatre Festival - where a lot of people I know couldn’t go because the tickets were €30 each.”

Shows on the line up included an interrogation into art and creation in the ironically titled Andy Warhol’s Nothing Special by Split Gin Theatre Company, and a piece of physical theatre to be presented by Christopher Samuel Carrol and Roeseanne Lynch (Bare Witness Theatre) entitled In Touch. This piece dealt with the pressure urban life and society impose on the relationship of a young and successful couple.

The unification of the artists within the festival was something that Carrol found very encouraging within the process. “It’s cool to have an investment in other artists,” she says. “We’re all emerging artists, all relatively unestablished, but by coming together this way, it feels like more is possible. There’s a real buzz around the Theatre Machine, where you feel like you’re part of the next generation of theatre in Dublin - and not just talking about it, but doing it.”

The Theatre Machine had been donated a lot of free rehearsal space all around the city-something that is normally an obstacle for those with few funds.

”The biggest obstacle for me at the moment is the cost of rehearsal space, and unimaginative thinking in the way theatres are run in Dublin. My work is very physical, and can’t be created in someone’s living room. Given time in a big empty space, I feel quite happy that I can create good work with exciting people; from there, the other obstacles aren’t such a problem” says Carrol.

However, he also highlights the donated space as a possible positive effect had by cost cutting.” In pre-recession Dublin, we may not have gotten any free space, so perhaps it’s not a bad time to be at the very bottom of the ladder.”

Maeve of the Split Gin Theatre Company says, “There has been an enormous amount of generosity and goodwill towards us in our search for rehearsal space. It did take a bit of looking but there is free space to be found, especially if you’re willing to offer your time and skills in lieu of payment.”

Money may be too tight to mention but Maeve and the other artists alike are determined to get the better of the situation. “Money is an obstacle. Not because you can’t make theatre for free, you can put on a show for practically nothing, but I would love to be able to pay people properly for their work.” says Roisín McGann, producer of the festival: “Everyone has been really supportive and encouraging - people have given up their space and more importantly their time to make this a big success. I think people may see this kind of a event as the way forward for new theatre so everybody really wants to be a part of it.”