Review: Wake at Carriageworks

Review by Alison Stoddart

The quote “May you be in heaven a full hall hour before the devil knows you’re dead” is a quintessential example of the culture of playful banter of the Irish.   In Ireland a wake is a celebration with music, stories and laughter carrying through the night. If the Sydney Festival is about summer and summer is about fun, then Wake is the ultimate night out and on a warm and muggy night the fun has returned with an Irish accent.

Wake is currently performing at Carriageworks in Redfern and is a cleverly curated show of multidisciplinary performances.  From the sublime harmonies of the singers to the frenetic breakdancing, it is a colourful mix of music, dance, humour, slapstick, acrobatics and storytelling

Wake is presented by Thisispopbaby, a theatre company that has been around since 2007. With an ensemble of ten performers, five women and five men, and a four-piece band that warms up the audience with an Irish jig as they take their seats, it is with dismay that we learn from the two directors that the company’s set did not arrive in time for tonight’s show.  So, with an apology for the makeshift set but a promise that the bar will stay open throughout, the performance proceeds as scheduled.  

It opens with a poetry slam type monologue from Nigerian poet Felicia Olusanya (aka Felispeaks) who delivers a humorous take on life before Cristian Emmanuel Dirocie launches into a frenetic performance of breakdancing. The band is led by Alma Kelliher on the keyboard, and her vocals lead the cast in many haunting and melancholic ballads. 

A few highlights of the show were Emer Dineen as Duncan Disorderly, a talentless DJ who is on the pull at the wake but nevertheless gets the crowd dancing with their goofy rapping, and Lisette Krol who does a pole dance of such athleticism and flexibility that the audience dare not look away. As well as her amazing contortions Krol uses her body as art with her ultimately looking very much like a snake curled around a tree. The tapdancing of Michael Roberson, in a Billy Elliot style reveal (he comes on the stage in his Gaelic football strip) is high energy complete with gold briefs and a glitter ball.

The set is configured so that the audience is seated on three sides with an oval-shaped raised platform taking centre stage. The stylish back drop is well lit, with a corresponding oval of light to highlight the singers when they take to the microphone to perform. In fact, the lighting is spot on, focussing the audience on various parts of the set and showing off the stunning physiques of this gorgeous cast in their dazzling costumes. 

Wake delivers a high paced two hours of variety style entertainment.  With its audience participation it is all about togetherness.  It is decadent, carefree, hilarious and uses death as a prompting to embrace life. Above all else, it is a great fun night out. 

Image Supplied