Landmark Productions and Galway
International Arts Festival production of Woyzeck in Winter at The Gaiety
Theatre, Dublin Theatre Festival 2017
On Wednesday 4th
of October last I saw Landmark Productions and Galway International Arts
Festival’s production of Georg Büchner’s Woyzeck
in Winter at The Gaiety Theatre in Dublin. The massive, teetering set
composed of dark, brooding Piano carcases is designed by Scenographer Jamie
Vartan. The set references Schubert’s song cycle Die Winterreise which Schubert was still working on in 1827 when he
died aged 31. Jamie Vartan’s stage setting provides a menacing performance
space with semi concealed stairways, doors and performance areas. Influenced by
the poetical work Winterrise by poet
Wilhelm Müller, the poetic, nihilist Woyzeck
in Winter is set or around 1833-37 Austria.
This dark, despairing and robustly performed production is not for the
faint hearted, do not expect to whistle a production tune on your way home.
Informed by the accounts of the French Revolution and of women, wives, lovers’
brutally murdered by nihilistic men, Büchner
struggles to contextualise and express this human condition through his,
arguably unfinished work.
The
overall performance space and smaller ensconced spaces presents an apt and
visually satisfying set design. The scenographer Jamie
Vartan. I collaboration
with Lighting Designer, Paul Keogan, provide the performers and audience with a
collaboratively menacing environment in which to embrace the ambience and
menace generated by this dark production.
The Costumes designed by Designer Joan O’Cleary and Supervised by Orla
Long provide the actors with convincing evocative characters of a time and
place long past yet appallingly relevant to the contemporary world. All in all
it is an appealing design solution, a setting that provides a menacing and
versatile performance space for the actors and the characters they portray.
The
production was developed and directed by Conall Morrison, Scenography (Set Design)
by Jamie Vartan, Costumes Designed by Joan O’Cleary,
Lighting Design by Paul Keogan (based on original design by Ben Ormerod), Sound Design Mike Nestor
The
€5 programme has an introductory piece by Festival Artistic Director and CEO
Willie White and a thoroughly researched informative and provocative piece by
author Belinda McKeon on writer Georg Büchner, Composer Schubert and Poet Wilhelm
Müller. The programme also includes cv synopses of the production team, cast
and crew,
Landmark
Dublin Theatre
