Hothouse

Navigating the high seas of #satire, “Hothouse” by Malaprop is a tempest of tragical comedy and meta-theatrical brilliance set aboard the eccentric cruise, Crystal Prophecy⛴️🧊 It’s a post-dramatic mic drop, with a #Brechtian nudge reminding us, vividly and unabashedly, of theatrical artifice. It implores audiences to view the world without rose-coloured specs, focusing on our current climate catastrophe alongside family discord…🧐

The play sails through time, from Ruth in 1969 rejecting lettuce-laden sandwiches, to Ali's modern-day icy farewell cruise, to a future parent’s comforting lies about a world we know is waning. It’s a profound reflection on change and legacy, served with a side of horny songbirds and striking cabaret symbolism of endangered avifauna (aka birds🐦🐦🐦). The duality of stylized and realistic acting paints a canvas where the melodramatic and the true-to-life dance in harmonious contradiction. Like family trauma and climate change, the tone is at once mundane and profoundly overwhelming…

The #absurdist narrative is an exploration of human agency—or lack thereof—in a deteriorating world. The underlying question: are we all just cursed passengers aboard a sinking ship, or the architects of our destinies?🚢

Peter Corboy, Thommas Kane Byrne, Bláithín Mac Gabhann, Maeve O'Mahony, and Ebby O'Toole Acheampong form a dynamic quintet, executing a dance-sing-acting trifecta with exquisite precision🎯 The mix of cabaret, parody, and melodrama in the first half morphs into a more realistic, pop art-infused critique in the second; the abstract premise becomes a concrete aftermath…

In short, “Hothouse” is BOLD; reflecting on our relationships with the earth and each other, it’s a vivid reflection of and antidote to our collective apathy. Its clarion call? “We have the power to change!” 5/5🌟

#dublinfringe #projectartscentre #dublintheatre #ecotheatre