At the heart of this show is the traditional music of Ireland filtered through the extraordinary skill of musician, composer and songwriter Liam Ó Maonlaí, a founding member of the band Hothouse Flowers. The music inspires the choreography of Michael Keegan-Dolan (who also directs the performance) and brings together a multi-national group of dancers under the banner of the Fabulous Beast company.
The staging draws on the intimate, circular, spatial form of the music session (seisiún in Irish Gaelic) commonly held in pubs throughout Ireland. The musicians occupy one side of the circle, the audience the other, with the dancers at the centre. An enormous semi-circular backdrop and the floor are finished in emerald green.
The international popularity of Irish music and dance in the 1990s created a challenge for serious artists, such as those involved in Rian, to avoid the kitsch of shows like Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance. But from the very first moments of Rian it is clear that a delicate and thoughtful authenticity will pervade the performance.
Such authenticity is founded on the use of the Irish language in traditional singing. As Ó Maonlaí says in the program notes:
‘I believe the style known as sean-nós (Irish old style) carries a sense of the soul of the land and the people who are awake in that land. I feel, when in the company of other cultures, the singing of this style opens a window into what it is that connects us.’
Traditional tunes combine with original compositions and inventive use of instrumentation to create an atmosphere hovering between the solemn, the meditative, and the joyous.
In counterpoint, Keegan-Dolan’s choreography largely avoids the lexicon of traditional dance. No rigid arms by the sides, no leaps and high kicks. As Keegan-Dolan explains it:
‘To dance is to burn as you pound out a rhythm with your feet – an act of sacrifice to the supreme intelligence that bestows on us creative gifts, which are our only means to attain liberation.’
This sense of groundedness forms the basis of a highly expressive choreography exquistely executed by the dancers. The dance is infused with exuberance and a wonderful sense of play, especially when the musicians tread the boards.
Lighting is minimal and makes great use of shadows cast on the backdrop. The audio strives to retain the authenticity of the traditional instruments but at times it felt as if the dance needed more musical heft to support it. The costumes are based on street clothes with the multi-layering working particularly well for the men.
The opening night audience was effusive in its appreciation of the skill and artistry of this group of performers. Rian resets the calibration of our understanding of Irish culture. In a journey to its authentic roots we discover its universality.
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Fabulous Beast presents
Rian
Featuring Liam Ó Maonlaí
Director and Choreographer: Michael Keegan-Dolan
Musical Director: Liam Ó Maonlaí
Theatre Royal, Sydney
17 – 23 January
Sydney Festival 2013
www.sydneyfestival.org.au
5 – 27 February
