Dublin Fringe Festival 2026: The Boxes (Fiona Charleton 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? If these invited productions are primarily there to represent, in the case of The Boxes, our vibrant Irish-Brazilian community, should we manage our expectations accordingly?
Ironically, expectations are a major theme of this almost wordless show which is billed as a fusion of dance and physical movement. Centering around the theme of masculinity, it asks: what are men forced to suppress emotionally in order to be seen as ‘real’ men? And what is the price paid? Co-created by professional dancer, Yves Lorrhan & the Inner Man Community, The Boxes expresses its title both metaphorically and literally. With set design by Bruna Alves and Iris Ferraz, the stage is littered with maybe a hundred cardboard boxes and, initially, we watch as a disparate group of men assemble and stack them with increasing urgency. The rhythmic soundscape by Mick Donohoe is key and a sense of the hardship of repetitive, low paid, mindless labour that numbs the soul is honestly portrayed by the eight men whose enthusiasm is undeniable. As the play progresses, their wordless activity on stage becomes increasingly feverish and, led by Lorrhan, the dancer/actors do their best to inhabit the emotion but their movements could have been more tightly choreographed and unfortunately, the power of this clever concept gets slightly lost.
While Lorrhan’s physical prowess and undoubted ability is fascinating to watch, (one of the first things he does is twitch his pecks - with irony it should be said), the most compelling character is portrayed by Lino Bento. Bento somehow manages to embody a cross between a Brazilian Cathleen Ni Houlihan and a drag queen and their entrance mid-show wearing a traditional wooden mask and a skirt, is genuinely affecting. Proudly confronting established ideas of gender, sexuality and masculinity, Bento’s arresting baritone singing voice and tear stained face is a stand out moment but their monologue slightly lacks clarity which, again, undermines impact.
Nevertheless, the group's central message of how hard it is to reconcile being LGBTQ+ with the macho customs and traditions of Brazil is expressed with unsettling lucidity, emphasised by the inventive use of ties in Julia França’s imaginative costume design. Horrifying statistics about the level of crime perpetrated against this community, and indeed women, are announced through voice over and there is such dignity, respect and camaraderie apparent on stage that, while the overall production falls somewhat short artistically, one cannot deny the show’s heart.
The Boxes by Yves Lorrhan, presented by Yves Lorrhan & Inner Man Community, runs as part of Dublin Fringe Festival 2026 at Smock Alley Theatre till Sept 12.
For more information visit Dublin Fringe Festival 2026.
