Directed by Olivia Preye Bradbury and Frances Donohoe with story by The Unhidden Collective, The Fish Tales of Alaska closes out The Yard Theatre’s 2012 season.
Running until 24 November, The Fish Tales Of Alaska knits together a story that tells the tall tales of this bleak and inhospitable part of the world. With the pregnant wife of a lost fisherman (played by Laura Freeman) acting as narrator, it involves documentary footage and shadow puppet sequences interspersed with sweeping modern dance from two members of the cast, the ‘Waves’, while a trio of accappela singers, the ‘Fishes’, provide tight vocal harmonies to accompany a hypnotic score. Played out on a sand-covered stage that echoes a beach scene (buoys, seaweed and flotsam mark the tideline) this is a really magical and other-wordly piece of theatre – superb!
The Yard Theatre has become a regular part of my cultural calendar in 2012 – throughout the year I’ve seen some amazing material, with particular highlights being Game of Life in September and If What I Hear Is True back in May. The Fish Tales of Alaska brings the Theatre’s successful second season to an exciting conclusion.
Do go along to see the play if you can – the Yard Theatre deserves your support, and they offer a very good value for money entertainment experience. I can’t wait to see what they have lined up for 2013!
Here’s a very short piece to camera from Franni Donohoe where she reveals the foundations that this remarkable play was built on:
All photographs reproduced in this post are by Sarah O’Donnell
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