“You know those friends you grew up with? Went to school with? Laughed, cried, partied and pulled with? D’you ever wonder sometimes, will they ever just F*ck Off?”

We’re just friends because we ARE friends, do you know what I mean?

So says Vickey Curtis (AKA Victor) of her best friend since childhoood Aine McKevitt
(AKA Gord) And yes, I DO know what she means! In case you think this was some
confidential information imparted by Vickey, this is in fact the subject matter
of her performance (play? documentary?) Victor and Gord/Ali and Michael
which opens later this week as part of Queer Notions at Project Arts Centre.
So how did the friendship end up on stage?

It was Una’s (sister of Aine/Gord) idea. The three of us have been friends for like…ever. Una gave us the nicknames and had the idea to make a performance of our friendship. To put ‘real lives’ on stage, so we devised the piece around…us, the way we are around each other! It’s full of all things the things we remember from growing up together.

So the rehearsals are about digging into your friendship…?

Yeah completely headwrecking! Sometimes it’s like therapy!

The other ‘characters’ in the play are real-life brother and sister Ali
and Michael Barron. So how did they come on board?

Una found found them on Facebook! She saw a photo of them and thought they looked great! They’re brother and sister and also best friends, they’re hilarious together… and they’ve never acted before!

Director/Actor Una Mckevitt has lots of shows under her belt, mostly as an actor including a 2004 version of Genet’s The Maids: Spurt!Sister!Spurt!(directed by Vickey) which featured our beloved Panti as Madame, naturally!(Panti’s new show A Woman in Progress is also been performed as part of Queer Notions)
So a question for Una, acting or directing?

I’ve always liked performing and when I was at college I usually performed in a show during the summer, such as the one you mention Spurt!Sister!Spurt! in Fringe 2004. At college I studied Devising and Playwriting and the work I make now is really a mix between these two practices. Collaborating with performers and shaping the work we make together for the stage is what makes me excited at the moment.
I love plays, I love going to plays but I’m not a text based performer or director and I can’t think of one play I’d like to perform in or direct! I can think of lots of plays I’d like to make though.

V/G, A/M is part of Queer Notions, a week-long festival presented by Calipo Theatre Company and THISISPOPBABY which celebrates queer ideas and performance, and runs as part of the Dublin LGTBQ Pride celebrations. The festival is curated Phillip McMahon, whose play All Over Town
is also being performed, AND he’s directing Panti… a man with his hands full!

So I asked Vickey what defines V/G, A/M as queer performance:

Oh it’s FULL of queer antics… Michael and I are gay, the others are straight so the way we all connect with each other is just totally queer! People have called is post-dramatic theatre or staged documentary… It’s definitely not NORMAL theatre.

Intrigued? Then head to Project and buy some tickets! Or better still..
the company is giving away TWO FREE TICKETS for Wednesday’s performance to the first email to
victorandgord@gmail.com with Gaelick in the subject line.

And while you’re there check out the other performances. Queer Notions is a fantastically diverse
programme of theatre, art, music, lecture, drag, film and politics. Artists include: Panti, Tonie
Walsh, Phillip McMahon, Niall Sweeney, Bourgeois & Maurice and David Hoyle.

Full details on:

www.projectartscentre.ie

www.thisispopbaby.com

www.calipo.ie

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