Nobodaddy
O’Reilly Theatre, Dublin
★★★★☆
The choreographer Michael Keegan-Dolan unapologetically delves into the subject matter of his productions, whether they reflect politics, religion or, in the case of Nobodaddy, life and death. He constructs a facade as an accessible starting point, and behind that facade lie chaos and mess.
In Nobodaddy music and dance anchor proceedings that include everything from drinking milk out of cartons to a dancer spreading Kerrygold butter over his own head, arms, legs and chest. There’s singing, shouting, poetry and violin and cello playing. The effect is surprising, unpredictable and sometimes hard to grasp.
Movable platforms carry dancers and musicians to and from the back and front of the stage. As scenes morph from one into another they evoke memories, phases of life or that elusive moment just before passing from this world to the next. Nobodaddy challenges the concept of time, opening with a scene loosely portraying a woman incoherent on a hospital floor and finishing with that same woman, the outstanding Rachel Poirier, donning a pair of oversized feathered wings.
The musician Sam Amidon consistently appears like a beacon, his guitar-accompanied hymns and ballads serving as a lifeline throughout the changing tableaux. In one of Nobodaddy’s most powerful moments the cast sits in a straight line near the front of the stage and Amidon sings, “As angels come and call for you, the pains of grief tug my heart.” His expression of loss is made more bearable by the others’ simply being there. It’s a moment that speaks to the strength of human connection.
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Some of the best moments involve dancers moving in unison to Amidon’s earnest melodies, whether cocking their heads and jutting their hips in more jagged dance sequences or joyously throwing their arms open and gliding across the stage. Their small intricate motions are as compelling as their big sweeping ones, such as when the dancer Amit Noy flicks his hands and turns his head as if preening, or when Poirier and Jimmy Southward make such intense eye contact it looks as if nothing will pull them apart.
Keegan-Dolan’s method of heavily involving the dancers and musicians in his artistic process – they created the show together at his Teach Damhsa base, in Co Kerry – leads to authentic and intimate connections, and in turn Nobodaddy’s denouement builds to a zenith. As each performer steps into a wooden box with Amidon, the entire cast breathes as one, as if they are saying goodbye. Then they escape, like birds taking flight, scattering in various directions.
Further moments of coming together and dissipating ensue, leading towards a slightly diffused ending, reflecting life’s often non-linear path. Concluding with dancing might feel more satisfying, yet, finally and achingly, a winged and seated Poirier brings Nobodaddy to a close.
Continues at the O’Reilly Theatre, as part of Dublin Theatre Festival, until Saturday, October 5th
