#daniel goodwin

"That guy who scaled the Sears Tower in Chicago" you say?

That's Daniel Goodwin in 1981 doing exactly that!

I am involved in this exhibition, opening tomorrow. 

An image with words.

see event details below

Spelling mistakes = authenticity

*~ Celebrate the Dolphin with us ~*

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Today, few creatures in the animal kingdom command the breathless awe and respect a dolphin can. With its grace, intelligence and seeming eagerness to entertain, the dolphin captures the imagination and affection of ALMOST everyone. We would like to invite you to join us on our mystical journey celebrating the magic creature the Dolphin. Much folklore has been written about these beings as far back as Lemuria and their saint-like presence, so imagine our surprise when recent news broke about a baby Dolphin dying after being passed around for #selfies. Who would even dream of insulting the universe in this way? Why, Us, of course. #lovelife Life is amazing in the most negative connotation possible. When the babe Dolphin expired it is discarded back on the beach and We move on to the next #epic laugh. *~ Celebrate the Dolphin with us ~* Exhibiting new work from: Maya Ben David Gabrielle de la Puente Olivia Domingos Anoushka Goodwin Daniel Goodwin James Poyser Jack Squires Private view: Friday 20th May 6pm-9pm at back door ;) ......there will be cake.

It’s a fun little piece at Allen Hall this week, and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. Nothing against the cast or crew, musical parodies are just not my genre. Despite my ignorance, the cast do a good job of pulling of this comedic romp through a zombalien infected spaceship. 

The show running at the full 40 minutes opens with a bang, literally, as the spaceship setting is infested by an alien virus. The setting is clearly yet subtly defined by the presence of nine squares of light placed in a Rubix-cube formation across the floor. Set against the technological pre-show music, the futuristic setting is entirely believable, and also simple enough that it takes no focus away from the performers. Lighting follows suit. There is enough use of bright primary colours to support the childlike simplicity and high energy of the piece, without it being overbearing or distracting.

The nature of parody tends to mean that you’ll be witnessing theatrical tropes rather than fleshed out, three-dimensional, personas. This isn’t a bad thing, the characters are purposefully simple in order to satire common sci-fi types, and the actors each commit wonderfully to their quirky character. Kennedy’s physicality is wonderfully controlled in this piece. Her dance training clearly comes across as she embodies the military persona of Jones, the ship’s cook turned soldier. Her volume and diction can perhaps be a little more controlled but her consistent commitment to her character is to be commended! Mac Veitch and Sinead Fitzgerald also commit to their roles impressively, playing the naïve yet optimistic human-robot tag team convincingly and in a way that will have you wishing they could just live happily forever in their secluded little bunker. Given it was a musical, the singing was a little off-kilter at times, but the characters are sweet enough that you’ll forgive them for most of their transgressions.

Zac Nicholls should also be commended for his script. While the action stagnates a little after the typical exposition filled intro, the many one liners of the piece seem natural when fired off by these characters that have been thrown into this predicament. Satirical jokes can often feel forced in their attempts to “make a point” but Nicholls’ writing, together with the performances of the actors, conveys a light-hearted humour appropriate for the nature of the piece. In regards to the stagnation, perhaps some added conflict would have been appreciated. To say the piece is called Zombaliens, we never see much of this supposed enemy. No fending off of a massive extra-terrestrial horde, no scraping at the doors. There’s little sense of threat to the piece, which may have served to further justify and strengthen the characters unlikely friendship.

Finally as a directorial note, if you have a band as amazing as the one performing for this musical, please remember to include them in the program!!!

A great, light-hearted performance.