As Is Not Packing the Expected Punch at the Finborough

When my taller half and I were looking through current shows we were immediately intrigued by William M. Hoffman's As Is, currently playing at the Finborough Theatre. Originally produced in 1987 it was a groundbreaking look at the AIDS epidemic in young, gay, New York men. It is a powerful play whose mix of drama and comedy only serve to strengthen its effect on the audience.

Hoffman manages to bring the audience inside the most intimate relationships of Rich, a writer recently diagnosed with AIDS. From his long time lover to his new fling, from his friends to his brother we feel the pain, sorrow, fear and confusion of every character. These are fully realised people that come no where near the stereotypes we often see portrayed. But is that enough?

As Is promotional image

Thank you! Blog Awards Ireland 2013 Nomination

Thanks to all who nominated me for the Blog Awards Ireland "Best of the Diaspora" award. It is much appreciated.

Now begins the wait with held breath and crossed fingers. There are a lot of great blogs nominated. Good luck to all! Short list is out on 08 September!

It's Time to Laugh with Harry Potter at The Cripple of Inishmaan

In a delightful twist to expectations, it turns out that everybody's favourite boy-wizard can act. Daniel Radcliffe and his child co-stars have long been accused of a lack of talent and empty fame built on the luck of being cast in the mega-film, Harry Potter franchise as children. Even those of us who were rooting for them worried that they would never be able to escape the wand-wielding typecast roles they played for their entire adolescence. How could they escape their alter-egos? Well, Emma chopped off all her hair and opted for the sexy dress route, while Daniel first shed all his clothes in Equus and now adopts an Irish accent to play the eponymous role in The Cripple of Inishmaan. So, did it work?

Look! It's Harry! I mean, Daniel...I mean Cripple - no, just Billy.