10.12.07
Idiots
To the theatre last night! Frances booked tickets for The Idiots – a very challenging play. A group of people hang around together “spazzing” – imitating physically handicapped people. At first you really wondered what the point was and how insulting it was – but gradually it came together and the ending was so grim the beggars outside in Temple Bar did very well out of the depressed theatre goers.
It’s booked out for its remaining 2 nights but if it ever comes back to Dublin I’d thoroughly recommend going. Oh there was a LOT of nudity and a simulated orgy. All for art of course, but not for the fainthearted.
AM in Belgium said,
October 13, 2007 at 6:53 pm
Lars Von Trier, the Danish director made a film of this about 10 or 11 years ago. It might actually be his screenplay, I don’t know.
But the film was excellent. I can only imagine that a theatre production would be good too.
PS In the film, the orgy wasn’t simulated. Caused quite a bit of outrage – even in Denmark where they show hardcore porn on TV at night time.
Sarah said,
October 14, 2007 at 11:47 am
yes it was the Lars Von Trier screenplay. I was out again last night and the talk turned to The Idiots. It is amazingly controversial. Some thought the film had actually been banned here. One of my friends queried the title – even if the project itself had merit, why did they call it the Idiots – that alone was deeply insulting. However based on the conclusion I decided that the point is that other people assume that those with handicap, even if its only “physical” are somehow lacking in humanity and are idiots. The final scene in which the one mentally handicapped woman in the group takes on the challenge the other members of the group were afraid to: “spazzing” in front of her family – proved the point. They had no reaction. She was handicapped and they had such a low estimation of her humanity it didn’t occur to them that she had the self awareness to imitate someone else with a different handicap. I found that deeply tragic.
But anyway as I say, very challenging but I think it made a good point.
The production was pretty cool as they had lots of approaches like using a microphone and singing! Oh and there was man with CP sitting beside us who seemed to enjoy the play very much.
Hell of a lot better than Uncle Vanya. I am done with Chekov. Its just tooooo boring. And the Gate keeps using actors I know from Glenroe and Fair City. I can’t get past that (my fault I am sure). Owen Roe was excellent as Vanya.
tom said,
October 15, 2007 at 10:50 am
“I am done with Chekov”
or possible you are done with Chekov fucked up by Brian Friel.
leon said,
October 19, 2007 at 11:27 am
A spastic orgy, now thats different, I bet I can’t even find anything like that even on porntube. Theatre?