Dublin Gothic: A sprawling epic that weaves a century of family history into its narrative tapestry.
Barbara Bergin's ambitious production tells the story of four intertwined families, whose lives are marked by poverty, disease, and violence. The stage is set in an inner-city tenement building, where choices are starkly circumscribed, and lives are cut short in brutal fashion.
The narrative follows Honor Gately, a spirited sex worker who defies her circumstances to forge a new path for herself. Her great-granddaughter, also played by Sarah Morris, becomes the protagonist of the second half of the story, as she breaks free from the patterns of her family and embarks on a journey to write a novel.
Throughout its three-and-a-half-hour run time, Dublin Gothic brings a vast array of characters to life – including historical figures like James Joyce, Pádraig Pearse, and Brendan Behan. These figures are conflated into a rogues' gallery of abusive and duplicitous men, whose presence is felt throughout the production.
The ensemble cast of 19 brings the story to life with dynamic energy, but at times the sheer scale of the narrative threatens to overwhelm them. The set design, which creates a cross-section of the building, offers dramatic possibilities, but these are not fully realised.
Ultimately, Dublin Gothic is a production that feels like it's trying to cram too much into its canvas. With a commitment and punchy energy from the cast and crew, the show remains an engaging and thought-provoking epic – even if it doesn't quite live up to its full potential.
Barbara Bergin's ambitious production tells the story of four intertwined families, whose lives are marked by poverty, disease, and violence. The stage is set in an inner-city tenement building, where choices are starkly circumscribed, and lives are cut short in brutal fashion.
The narrative follows Honor Gately, a spirited sex worker who defies her circumstances to forge a new path for herself. Her great-granddaughter, also played by Sarah Morris, becomes the protagonist of the second half of the story, as she breaks free from the patterns of her family and embarks on a journey to write a novel.
Throughout its three-and-a-half-hour run time, Dublin Gothic brings a vast array of characters to life – including historical figures like James Joyce, Pádraig Pearse, and Brendan Behan. These figures are conflated into a rogues' gallery of abusive and duplicitous men, whose presence is felt throughout the production.
The ensemble cast of 19 brings the story to life with dynamic energy, but at times the sheer scale of the narrative threatens to overwhelm them. The set design, which creates a cross-section of the building, offers dramatic possibilities, but these are not fully realised.
Ultimately, Dublin Gothic is a production that feels like it's trying to cram too much into its canvas. With a commitment and punchy energy from the cast and crew, the show remains an engaging and thought-provoking epic – even if it doesn't quite live up to its full potential.
You'd think with a show this sprawling it would need a few more breaks or at least some intermission magic to ease us into the next act. As is, I felt like I was running marathons and writing my own novel in my head (not that I'd be brave enough to try 
)
also the set design looked SO cool but didnt really feel like anything was happening on stage most of the time... guess its one of those shows where u gotta pay attention or miss out lol 
this show sounds like a wild ride I'm intrigued by the idea of honor gately's story being woven into the narrative, but 3.5 hours is a long time for a play i guess you gotta know when to fold 'em... 
, especially with all the historical figures thrown in for good measure. But at the same time, 3.5 hours feels like an eternity... I get that it's trying to cram a lot into its canvas, but some scenes feel rushed while others drag on too long 
. Still, I'm curious to see how the show evolves over time - maybe they'll work out those kinks and really make this production shine 
. But 3.5 hours is a long time, you know? I'm not sure how the cast would keep me engaged for that long 
. They gotta find a balance between telling all these stories and making it feel like a cohesive whole 
. And omg, the set design sounds amazing! A cross-section of an inner-city tenement building would be so cool to see in action 
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, and I gotta say, it's this crazy epic story that spans a century of family history 
, I wished they could've fully realized the dramatic possibilities, tho 
. Still, I thought it was super engaging and thought-provoking 
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. The set design looks fire, though - that inner-city tenement building is somethin' else! 
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the lead actress was hella talented, i loved her in the 2nd half of the story when she was writin that novel 
i wish they had more time for development tho, felt a bit rushed for me 
! But for real tho, the cast is on point 
and they bring so much energy to the show - it's like they're having a party on stage 
. And can we talk about how cool it is to see historical figures as part of the narrative? Like, who wouldn't wanna be friends with James Joyce 
️ (just kidding, he was probs a grumpy old dude 
). All in all, it's like they're trying to tell one big family story and it's a bit messy 
. I'm still thinking about that final act, where her great-granddaughter takes over... so many questions left unanswered 
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it's like u walk into this real life inner-city tenement building 
it's mind blowin'! but at times i felt like the writers were tryin to fit too much in & it got a bit hard to keep up 
Honor Gately is such an iconic character, and Sarah Morris shines as her great-granddaughter - their storylines had me completely hooked 
. but yeah, at times it felt like there were too many cooks in the kitchen (or characters, lol) 
. still, 10/10 for the ensemble cast's energy and the thought-provoking themes 
. just maybe a bit more editing to make it feel more streamlined? 
. I mean, who needs that many characters on stage at one time? 
And don't even get me started on the set design – it's like a puzzle with too many pieces trying to fit together 
. Still, the story of Honor Gately's great-granddaughter is so compelling, I loved watching her grow and navigate her family's dark past 
... don't get me wrong, the energy of the ensemble cast is infectious 
, but can't they just streamline the narrative a bit? it feels like they're trying to cram every single historical figure into the show 
. still, i love how the production tackles some heavy themes like poverty and violence 
still, its an interesting concept and the cast seems like they're really bringin the energy to it 
.