Say Nothing

From Belfast: A suitcase full of grass, feverish chat and blips of mindless violence: this is the chaos of Northern Ireland at peace.

Kevin, an English-Ulsterman with a PhD in Peace & Conflict Studies, is welcomed back to his native Belfast by a militant Orange caretaker and an Anglo maniac B&B landlady who offers breakfast but no bed. Frustrated and appalled, his attempts to confront the truth are greeted with plastic smiles, oppressive hospitality and feel-good workshops. The guiding principle? “Whatever you say, say nothing.” What unfurls is a broken comedy about double acts and competitive entertainment, with a giddy affection for physically demanding slapstick and a full-blown passion for trains of thought that leave the track of sense at high speed.

Ridiculusmus, aka John Hough and David Woods, founded their company at London's Poor School in 1992, inspired by Samuel Beckett's last words on theatre: “To find a form that accommodates the mess, that is the task of the artist now.” Here they aim their “seriously funny” skills at a situation where “the reality of post-Good Friday Northern Ireland was a far cry from the euphoria on the surface. Both sides were claiming a victory over the other, rather than with them, yet everyone shared a willful indulgence in the fantasy that all was well. Ridiculusmus aimed to make a small prick in the bubble”.

 

Jan 12-16, 2005 at The Big Secret Theatre

Jan 12, 7:30pm: - Tickets: $18

Jan 13-15, 7:30pm: - Tickets: $22

Jan 16, 9:30pm: - Tickets: $16

Ticketmaster: Buy Online

Ridiculusmus are David Woods & John Hough
Written created and performed by David Woods & John Hough
Technician: Kazuko Hohki
Producer: Your Imagination