JUL—SEPT 2013
commissioned by and will premiere at
I’ve worked with Megan for five years
Kilkenny Arts Festival. In this work they will
and she manages with each new work to
investigate blindness and invisibility and
charm me with her unique outlook and
are particularly interested in exploring ways
perspective on life. But be warned, Megan’s
of seeing or perceiving things – things that
charm is not shallow. She uses it to great
may not be there or may not exist. They
effect. While Megan tells you about herself,
are interested in the move from domestic
in a real and honest way, she manages to
to wild, dusk being the hour between dog
disarm you, leading you to carefully look
and wolf. With each new work, Jessica
and ask real questions of yourself. Keep
and Megan never fail to create something
an eye out for the Dublin Fringe Festival
extraordinarily beautiful – something
programme launch on 14 August and grab
different, striking and bold. When you sit
a programme to make sure you get a
and feel their work you are brought into a
ticket – it’s one not to miss!
new environment, you are transported and,
year long Dublin City Council’s public
this work because I just can’t resist being
art commission for St Michael’s Estate.
brought on a journey by this talented duo.
THEATREclub make contemporary socially
Megan Riordan is creating a piece
10 / 11
THEATREclub’s History is a two
by the end, transformed. I can’t wait to see
engaged performance with and for
called You Remember the Stories You
communities. For the past twelve months
Wish Were True for this year’s Dublin
they have worked with people from St
Fringe Festival. Megan is from the US
Michael’s Estate workshopping and writing
(although recently she proudly became
with activists groups, groups for those in
an Irish Citizen so luckily I now proudly
additction treatment, women’s development
and officially call her one of us!). Her
groups and family support organsiations
starting point for the piece was the
as well as a group for marginalised young
personal loss of the contents of a storage
people. The production will discuss Irish
unit, and consequently every single item
Nationalism around a week in 1916 in
from a four year period of her life. Since
Richmond Barracks, it will juxtapose the
then Megan has been looking at how to
lives of the people of Keogh Square with
reclaim memories and has researched the
the reality in Goldenbridge and will end
neurobiology of memory, learning and
looking at the struggle for regeneration
change. She has become fascinated by
led by revolutionary community leaders.
how remembering something is to change
Doireann, Grace and Shane are three
it but to not remember is to lose it entirely.
power houses and when you put them