FreeFalling

The Corn Exchange is recognised as one of Ireland's most imaginative theatre companies. Their 2005 Dublin by Lamplight won Best Ensemble at the Stage Awards, while their latest, Freefall, has already harvested
Best Director and Best New Play at the Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards, as well as receiving nominations for Best Actor (Andrew Bennett) and Best Supporting Actress (Ruth McGill).

Based on the life of famous neuroanatomist Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, it takes an intimate abd charming loook at the nature of identity, those pivotal moments that define personality.

"We set out to make a contemporary ensemble piece for Ireland, about Ireland, begins director Annie Ryan. "We wanted to expand the company’s work in theatrical transformation. When the world’s economy collapsed, we realised that transformation would be not just the means of telling the story, but the story itself."

From this attempt to find a universal naarteive, come further inspiration. "The idea that we would follow one man’s story happened after that initial impulse," says Ryan. "It was informed by Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor’s remarkable talk on ted.com on the insight she gained after suffering a massive stroke. We wondered what might happen if a similar thing happened to an Irish man."

At the same time, Ryan notes, a further catastrophe wwas revealed. "As we were discovering our story, the Ryan report was released, finally disclosing the horrific, systemic child abuse in Industrial Schools all over Ireland. Ours is a story of one man’s life and death, but through it, we are trying to capture the feeling of a nation on its knees. Ireland may be broken, but it is rich in humour, in fun, in feeling."

Using the revelations provoked in the moment of a stroke may not be most promising comedy material, but the play is deliberately humorous.

"Irish people are funny. Well, our actors are at any rate," contests Ryan. "Maybe sad things are funny too. Funerals here are usually great fun. There is always humour with tragedy, isn’t there? Our play is sad, to be sure, but we would do anything for a cheap gag." Ryan sees this as very much part of a national character. "You can’t take anything too seriously in Ireland, or people will slag you mercilessly. We had a huge amount of fun making the piece. What’s the point otherwise?"

The play itself weaves between the classic playwright traditons of the Irish stage and more contemporary processes, a point that Ryan is keen to clarify.

"In Ireland and perhaps the UK too, we are used to a more linear way of making theatre, and perhaps the plays. Usually the production house or company choose a play, find a director, and then assemble the production team and cast from there. The primary focus is usually to serve to author’s intentions. In a way, with us, the play emerges last. We begin with a conversation around the identity of the piece – its style, its heart, its aesthetic and how it should feel to watch. And from there, we dream it up and discover what it is. It’s a trial and error process, where we try to communicate as much as we can to each other what we’re trying to do and empower the company to contribute as much of themselves as possible."

Irish theatre had a powerful tradition of literary greats, and the Abbey Theatre established Dublin as a theatrical hub. Ryan, herself from Chicago and a very different lineage, acknowedges the influence of the nationl character, but also looked further afield. "Yeats, Joyce and later Beckett, were radical innovators who were inspired by many random sources, right? We are an Irish company, informed by that rich tradition, and yet, our world is more and more multi-cultural. Everything in Ireland feels upsidedown at the moment. I like to think that being an outsider in Ireland allows me to see things in a different light."

"Everyone else involved is Irish. We tried to apply what we like, what moves us in theatre, film, books, music  from any culture, to see might work for this particular play. We were reading American novels, looking at Turkish films, Dutch theatre."

Their close association with composer Conor Linehan has grown over three productions, and his score is an essential part of the mix. "The initial idea was for him to play live with the violinist Cora Venus Lunny. He accompanied Dublin By Lamplight on piano, so he has a good feel of how we work as a company."

Ryan notes that Linehan was working against his instincts this time: "This piece is very different to our previous work in style, and Conor’s music is instinctively very epic and emotive. It took a lot of work to tone things down and find what we were after here. This score is very beautiful and subtle, and Cora’s playing is sublime."

Yet this mixture has led to critical acclaim, with one critic moved to say that this was "The day when Irish writing grew up" (Herald HQ). Ryan concludes with a wryly ironic retort.