The Ubu Project (Workshop)

The Ubu Project was a workshop with TheatreofplucK to devise a new performance piece based on Alfred Jerry's play Ubu Roi. The goal was to create a working script or detailed outline for a contemporary, Irish take on Ubu Roi spun on a recent political scandal in Northern Ireland.

For this workshop, I provided dramaturgical support with comparing multiple translations of the text (originally in French), providing context to our English and American actors for the current political landscape of Northern Ireland, and provided video and sound equipment to capture the actors improvisation. Below is audio captured from the workshop improvisations.  I also transcribed these improvisations throughout the week of workshops to create a script of our work.

Here, Artistic Director and Workshop Leader, Niall Rea asked actor Stephanie Weyman to improvise an active retelling of the plot of Ubu Roi within some kind of physical activity. This is the audio from that exercise.

The Day I Almost Met Liberace

The Day I Almost Met Liberace is a jaw-dropping autobiographical tale of sex, drugs and shocking ignorance. As a gay constable in the Police Service of Northern Ireland, Patrick expects to be faced with prejudice, maybe even aggression – he just doesn’t expect it to come from his own colleagues. When he is diagnosed with HIV, he is propelled on a journey to the edge of self-destruction, where he meets a nun with a curious knowledge of sexually transmitted infections and a heavenly administrator filling in for a missing angel. And then there is the guy playing the piano…

This piece was presented in a showcase of queer plays in development under the Outburst Queer Arts Festival 2016 Programme. For this project, I was the sound designer and board operator. I worked with the playwright, Gavin Armstrong, to capture voice over and write incidental music. 

It is important to note that this was a solo-show, so gaps in the cues are where the live performer would respond.