The Press Launch of the 6th Absolut Dublin Gay Theatre Festival took place on 31th March, with a cocktail called ‘drama queen’ flowing freely, courtesy of their title sponsor – and the Gaiety Bar was suitably bedecked with rainbow bottles! Due to be launched by Minister for the Arts Martin Cullen, unfortunately he had to cancel at the eleventh hour (apparently tied up with Budget drama) so the effusive and ever-capable Senator David Norris filled his shoes. Senator Norris began by doing a gleefully wicked impersonation of Cullen and also spoke of the importance of the Festival, the need for representation of our diverse lives on the stage, and the significance of having such a diverse programme this year incuding companies from Zimbabwe, Cape Town and Poland. Ever-playful he also said there’s plenty of sexy shows on offer in this year’s programme – and that he hoped the NY production of Two Boys in a Bed might be THREE by the end of the run!

Festival Director Brian Merriman said that one of his ambitions for the 2009 Festival was MORE WOMEN! And this he has certainly achieved, with a range of world premieres and Irish premieres of all kinds- Comedy, Drama and even for the first time year Dance! Merriman was also delighted to welcome representatives from the Arts Council to the launch, and suggested they might look more favourable on future funding applications by adding a zero or two to their grant allocation! Here’s a few shows that jumped out of the programme for me- but do visit the main website as there are 35 plays in total, so this is only a taster:

Walnuts Remind Me of My Mother is a new play by Elizabeth Moynihan, directed by Noelle Brown, is the darkly comic tale of Rua, a young lesbian from the small village of Spit where “everyone knows everyone”.
At the Cobalt Cafe 4-7th May more details here

More new Irish writing from Bang out of Order theatre Company who are presenting a comedy called Goodnight Alice Tim’s life as a gay single father is difficult enough without the interference of his over protective mother Rose and Alice the aunt from hell.
At Smock Alley Theatre 14th-16th May Details here

Careful from the Artscape New Writing Programme, South Africa is the story of two women. Jean Baxter, a distinguished South African actress, finds work in the new South Africa difficult to come by. Then she gets the opportunity to play the role of a lesbian in a play. Undertaking this role will mean achieving a lifelong ambition for Jean, the opportunity to travel abroad in a show. Jean, a warm, sensitive, married woman and an actress whose preparation is meticulous invites a theatre critic, Leila Russell, who is lesbian, to guide her with the interpretation of the role.
At the Teacher’s Club 11-16th May Details here

Lastly (for now!) a dance performance Dog of All Creation Fitzgerald & Stapleton with Lighting Designer Barry Madden’s latest major choreography, written in language of extreme concision, creates a new language to convey the creation of being. Also all ticket income from these shows is being donated to St. James’s Hospital Foundation : The New Fill HIV Service. (oh there’s also a warning that this show contain nudity… but that may be obvious from the image!)
At Smock Alley and also Outhouse Theatre Details here

For details of the rest of the programme visit: http://www.gaytheatre.ie/

Let us know what you think, and watch this space for reviews, interviews and theatrics in general!

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