Changing Room and Dining Room by Enda Walsh
The Shed, Galway Harbour
★★★★☆
Playwright Enda Walsh and Galway International Arts Festival director Paul Fahy have been creating theatre-installation Rooms for the festival for several years: brief nuggets of intensity shining a light on a person, a situation, to a small number of people gathered within a set created for the piece, for about 15 minutes.
This year the festival presents two Rooms: the latest in this series, Dining Room, but also remounts Changing Room, from a Covid-era festival which was seen by very few people due to restrictions. The Rooms are in adjacent spaces in a converted shed at Galway’s docks, a handy central location, even if sound from construction work nearby slightly intruded.
The Changing Room set is reminiscent of the 1950s-style shelters on the nearby Prom in Salthill, with narrow openings to the light near the roof, slatted benches, concrete floor. On the wall are stencilled the two-metre markings of Covid times, when this Room was first created. Shoes are strewn, and towels and clothes hang from hooks, because Cathal (voiced by Marty Rea) is a sea swimmer.
Cathal’s life has involved early grief, lack of direction and sorrow. He has drifted, allowed others to make his decisions, but he yearns for change, and dreams of love. A gentle, hopeful piece, it points to the possibilities for changing one’s life, even when the future seems mapped out.
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Dining Room is unrelated, not a companion piece (other than being part of the Rooms series), and different in tone and execution. Set in a trashed diningroom, it takes the form of voicemails from B&B-owner Fergal (Aaron Monaghan), to his estranged wife Audrey. Fergal is frantic, frenetic, unhinged, mile-a-minute, his very funny monologue railing against the guests who left a one-star review, and a friend’s betrayal.
“Come on ONE STAR I mean come on I mean honestly, honestly. ONE STAR ONE F***ING STAR. COME ON.” A man on the verge of breakdown or revenge, this is humorous, tinged with pathos.
Changing Room and Dining Room run until July 27th. giaf.ie
