The Arts Review​

The Boxes: Image, Amanda Braide *** There are some shows that are hard to review. The Boxes is one of them. According to the programme, the production is part of the Dublin Fringe’s ‘Home Ground’, community take-over, initiative. When I googled it, I discovered that a number of artists were invited by the Fringe to co-create productions representing their communities and promises “safe, celebratory audience spaces”. Could a negative review break that promise of a safe space?

Miss You by Chaos Factory. Image Laura Sheeran ***** You could be forgiven a sudden shudder of dread. Chaos Factory's multi-faceted Miss You serving up another female trauma play based on a Greek myth. Like writing or reviewing using AI the result is often a highly polished and convincing sham passing itself off as original work. Thankfully the multidisciplinary Chaos Factory are the real deal. Harnessing myth whilst actively puncturing artistic pretensions with real world ki

Daddy Issues by Brigid Leahy. Image uncredited ***** “The old is dying and the new cannot be born” Antonio Gramsci once wrote in the prison cell of the Italian fascists. Identifying the dangerous meaning-gap arising from social discontinuity and stasis. Now, in recent culture and politics, it has felt as though the inability to conceptualise the future has created insistence to rebirth the past. To mythologise and revert to traditionalism. The trad wife lifestyle emerged as o