Dublin Fringe Festival 2025: The Revenger's Tragedy

The Revenger's Tragedy. Image, David Copeland.

**

It's never a good sign when an academic takes to the stage during a production to lecture the audience on what they've just seen. At worst it suggests the audience aren’t intelligent enough or that the lecturer has little faith the production has made itself clear. In the case of The Revenger's Tragedy, adapted and directed by Kevin Keogh, much of the audience might struggle to get it, but that's because the production is lazily contrived. That despite a libretto of sorts contained in the programme. Outlining a reimagining of Thomas Middleton’s 1606 Jacobean play The Revenger’s Tragedy set against a modern soundtrack and framed inside a hip-hop subculture called drill. Not that the lengthy lecture on the pedagogy of hip hop and the codification of language makes anything clearer. Rather, it screams of weak efforts to justify poor theatre by referencing ideological authorities to bolster its political agenda. Indeed, the longer the lecture goes on, there’s a vivid sense this lady doth protest way too much about hip hop as protest.

With an eleven strong orchestra and conductor live onstage, a musical intro establishes a mood of promise. Flashing lights reinforcing vibrant, musical energy, with an array of daggers suspended from the ceiling whetting the curiosity. But it’s a false promise. Not till the final, drill styled last moments is a modicum delivered on. Instead, we get alternating monologues by Alexander Potgieter and Andrew Ajentunombi delivered less as a drill performance and more as a recital. And a poor recital at that. Declamation, diction, skills necessary for effective delivery in Jacobean theatre nowhere in evidence. Like removing DJing from hip hop, their absence sees delivery dying on its feet. Not helped by monologues competing with the soundtrack and permanently losing out. Resulting in dull, verbal monotony in which every other word is half heard. After a short period straining to piece blurred sentences together you’ll likely wonder if you've understood what's being said? The answer likely to be no. Thankfully there's stirring music by Colin Fitzpatrick, Samuel Mark and Ire Adebari, which isn't the best thing about this production, it's the only good thing.

A brief interlude in which a strained soprano, a cartoon Ellen Rose Kelly, strangles an aria in the style of Carry On Opera proves a poor effort to address drill’s misogyny. But dreary monologues and decrepit acting soon return, droning on endlessly until a painful interruption by way of eager anthropologist, Dr Dawn-Elissa Fischer, serves up lashings of unsteady artspeak. Christ, you might cringe. I came to see a show. I didn’t sign up to listen to a lecture. Especially one whose efforts to sanctify hip hop as political resistance backfires for trying to shoehorn The Revenger’s Tragedy alongside hip hop’s richer history. And the wider riches of black artists. When it comes to black expression and political resistance, exceptional black artists have produced exceptional art in many genres. In contrast, The Revenger’s Tragedy, despite inflated academic claims, resembles little more than self-indulgence, doing hip-hop, drill and theatre no favours. Paling in comparison with the real deals.

Words as weapons? In The Revenger’s Tragedy they barely function as words. As we drag towards the finish line via some infantile choreography, a momentary flash of contemporary drill reveals what should've been. But by then the boat has sailed. The only redeeming feature a powerfully engaging soundtrack far richer than the shambles of theatre in front of it. Giving many patrons pause for thought. Yet again a niche production that speaks to the converted, and invested academics, likely to exclude a wider audience. The sort of production more likely to drive non acolytes away from theatre rather than connect with it. Let alone the National Theatre. Even drill fans are likely to struggle. The Revenger’s Tragedy might dress up well for funding and politics, but it's poor art. Which ultimately makes for poor politics resulting in retrenchments. Indeed, The Revenger's Tragedy could set hip hop back fifty years. Never mind the bigger question; what does it tell us about the current state of Irish theatre?

The Revenger’s Tragedy, presented by 353 and Kevin Keogh, co-presented with The Abbey Theatre and Dublin Fringe Festival, runs as part of Dublin Fringe Festival 2025 at The Peacock Stage of The Abbey Theatre until September 13.

For more information visit Dublin Fringe Festival 2025