Kilkenny Arts Festival

We've landed at The Kilkenny Arts Festival, http://www.kilkennyarts.ie/ and the Shrews have enjoyed a very warm welcome - infact I think all this being stopped in the streets by all and sundry to say how much they love the show could go to our heads...

The courtyard of the Design Centre - beshrewed!

I remember now the warm, and vocal responses last time I worked in Ireland - and the Kilkenny crowd have topped my previous expectations.  It's great for us as we hit half way through the shows (last night was show 45 out of 90) to be reminded that everything is landing - even when (with quieter audiences) people don't vocalise their feelings.  And, conversely, if it doesn't work in Ireland...it just doesn't work!  We were so pleased that Josh, our assistant director, got to see our first show here and be overwhelmed, alongside us, at the fantastic response.

The festival have made a beauteous promo video of us - which I urge you to watch here:
The Shrews at Kilkenny We are so delighted with the way it captures the feel of the show.

The festival is a gathering of all types of Art and Artists and we've managed to see some of it so far...although a lot of the performances clash with our show so we have to get a bit creative....

Luckily Junk Ensemble, a dance theatre company whose new work Dusk Ahead http://junkensemble.com/the-work has been specially created for the festival, allowed us to watch their dress rehearsal.  It was a magical piece touching on themes of dusk, twilight, where light meets dark, and stories shift into the realms of fairy tales - and as well as being astounded as I always am when I see dance, at just what the performers can make their bodies do (and ashamed at my own lack of fitness!) I thought the duets were particularly strong - if you get a chance to see it and see the chair and the kiss duets you'll see what I mean!

We also went to see James Shapiro and Finton O'Toole discuss Shakespeare's relationship with Ireland, which was a great chance to have a bit of a Bard-think.

Looking through the programme I had noticed another 'talk' called 'meet the actors', and circled it as something interesting to go and see.  It was only later that I realised we were the actors...luckily  the Shrew word was spread in plenty of time, and along with Carrie turned up ready to answer as many questions as we could on the play, performing in Kilkenny, performing at the Globe, stage managing such an unusual tour etc.  As ever, dear reader, you are very welcome to tweet or message me on here any questions for any of the cast, and I'll do my best to catch them in a reflective moment... tweet!

We also had our first Shrew Darts Championship - won by the valiant Leah Whitaker...I did not participate as I know my lack of aim...and that Darts in the head of my fellow actors do not a happy company make.