THISISPOPBABY are back with their biggest show since the international smash hit RIOT. WAKE is a howling, raucous, soul-stirring celebration of community, regeneration, and the magic of collective catharsis. An adrenaline shot for the city, WAKE embraces the ecstasy of letting go, the wild abandon of the all-nighter and the beauty of transformation in a rabble-rousing night of gut-punching theatre, soaring spoken word, stomping beats and outrageous circus. Making its world premiere at Dublin Fringe Festival this September, the show will leave you ready to dance into the dawn.
Taking over the National Stadium, Dublin 8 and highlighted as a major Dublin Fringe Festival event in Autumn, this brand new show lifts the veil between worlds, where club culture meets Irish tradition in an exquisite frenzy of ritual, rave, grief and joy.
Co-created and co-directed by PopBaby’s Jennifer Jennings and Phillip McMahon, its all star cast toasts yesterday’s passing as we dream up tomorrow, together! Appropriating the traditions, rites and structure of the Irish Wake, the show explores liturgy, grief, togetherness and collectively imagining the future, all within the framework of a wild party.
Co-produced with Dublin Fringe Festival in association with Irish Arts Centre New York. Funded by The Arts Council of Ireland. Created with the support of Dublin City Council and Cork Opera House.
CAST: Adam Matthews / Aisling Ni Cheallaigh / Emer Dineen / Alma Kelliher / Bryan O’Connell / Darren Roche / Deirdre Griffin / Felicia Olusanya / Jade O’Connor / Lisette Krol / Lucia McPartlin / Michael Roberson / Philip Connaughton / Tobi Omoteso
Image by Conor Horgan & Niall Sweeney
THISISPOPBABY
THISISPOPBABY’s work has been said to be a celebration of all that is good about the new Ireland. Their signature style is high octane, colourful and soulful; the work is both irreverent and reverent. They subvert and queer cultural and theatrical tropes while delivering an audience to a place that is both exhilarating and explosive.
Aesthetically they like to both pull from pop culture, clubbing and queer aesthetics and then push all the work through this lens – resulting in a subversive, colourful and playful aesthetic that is both high art and glamour trash.
Their shows’ seriousness is underpinned by silliness. Their politics are wrapped up in a party. In order to deliver emotional gut punches, they bring the audience through a chaotic and fun explosion of sound and movement. They know with certainty that a show can break your heart, stir your soul and also be a wild, sexy night out.
Phillip McMahon
Phillip McMahon is playwright and director based in Dublin.
Phillip is co-founder and co-director of theatre production company THISISPOPBABY, wherein he was co-creator and co-curator of the THISISPOPBABY performance venue at Electric Picnic Music and Arts Festival, Queer Notions cross arts festival, WERK Performance/Art/Club and Where We Live festival of performance and ideas.
He was a former Writer In Association at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin. He is currently an Artistic Associate at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, London, and is a Research Fellow at the Birkbeck Centre for Contemporary Theatre, London.
Jennifer Jennings
Jennifer Jennings is a theatre and festival maker based in Dublin with 17 years experience as creative producer, arts programmer and theatre director. Jennifer is co-founder and co-director of acclaimed Irish theatre company THISISPOPBABY.
Selected freelance directing credits include: Absolute Legends by Lords of Strut, Irish, UK & Australian Tour 2018- 2020; Caged by FemmeBizarre (Best Duo, Dublin Fringe 2018); Sub Rosa by Ronan Brady & Aisling Ni Ceallaigh; Dream Factory with Lords of Strut, Upcoming National Tour 2023.
Jennifer is co-founder and board member of Neon Lights Music and Arts Festival in Singapore, where she also worked as Artistic Director for the inaugural two editions (2015 & 2016). In a short space of time, Neon Lights has gained a reputation as the premier music and arts festival in South East Asia.
In 2011 & 2012, Jennifer was Arts Programme Director for Harvest Music & Arts Festival in Australia, where she devised, curated, designed and produced the Harvest Arts programme in all three cities (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane). In its debut year, the festival scooped up Best Major Festival in the Sydney Music, Arts and Culture Awards. Jennifer also worked as Head of Programming for Abbotsford Convent, Australia’s most unique arts, culture and learning site from 2014-2016.
Jennifer is currently Artistic Director in Residence at UCD’s Creative Futures Academyand was previously a member of the European Cultural Parliament (2005-2009).
Dublin Fringe Box Office – Tel: 1800 FRINGE (374 643) (lines open end of August) / fringefest.com
FURTHER INFO at: https://thisispopbaby.com
Running Time: 90 mins approx. (no interval)
HASHTAG: #WAKETheShow
