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Drama

Finnegans Wake and Pas de Dada dada: two late night shows at Downstage

reviewed by Allan Smith

Halfway up at Downstage is not the title of a real life documentary of the turgid sex life backstage at the Hannah. It refers to the new season of 'latenite' shows by Downstage in their refurbished Rehersal Room which is, precisely, half-way up the stairs at the Hannah Playhouse.

There is a workshop atmosphere about Half-way up. The room is small, the stage at floor level, the acting more involved with the audience. Those who find intimidating the plush auditorium of the main theatre (together with its plush patrons), should feel more at home Halfway up. The seats are actually hard. Bravo! Bohemian theatre begins to make progress!

Finnegan's Wake, a theatrical presentation from Joyce's novel, is skillfully adapted and directed by Alyson Baker. If Stoppard in Travesties finds that Joyce is only palatable with large doses of absurd humour, Alyson Baker has provided a welcome antidote. Her presentation of Joyce's work aims to provide a visual correlative for the richly textured flow of poetic image found in his writing. The dramatic result is like a series of dream sequences in which episode follows episode with a logic transcending the conscious mind, yet seized by the subconscious as importantly connected. John Banas and Lorae Parry are dream figures who dart and dive in semantic winds as kites restrained only by the frail thread of consciousness. This is Alyson Baker's directorial debut for Downstage, and her work is refreshingly sensitive.

On the other hand, Pas de Dada dada is a misguided improvisation on a jaded and abused theme it merely protracts the naive treatment of the Dadaist theme which, in my view, is already done to death in Travesties. In the Downstage show, four "Dadaists" recreate an evening of Dadaist improvisation. Pas de Dada dada merely reveals the creative naivety and poverty of the improvisators.