The encore of Smitten is but two days away from taking its curtain call.
The past few days have been a flurry of building, painting, rehearsing, teching, ticket selling, promo releasing, tea drinking, cleaning, dressing and overall general show building. We’re all wrecked. Wrecked but exhilarated. Exhilarated but unwashed and cut off from our loved ones.
After having spent time building a Cork version of the show for Solstice (different entrances and exits, etc.) we’ve been building the show back into the Kilkenny space which is very site specific as we’re using the set up of the Arts Office to mirror the original Smitten set. It has an arch so that’s half the battle won.
Smitten went down really well in Cork and we got some lovely feedback. For the most part, people laughed at the show which was one of our aims (ie. Make ‘Em Laugh!) and the flights of fantasy seemed to go down really well also. Admittedly, there was also a real sense of pride in taking a Kilkenny based show down to Cork for the Midsummer Festival and that it worked was an extra feather in our caps.
So we’ve had an extra kick in our step this week as we focused on getting it together for the Kilkenny run of the show. Interest has been great so far and the trailer has got an amazing reaction which has helped the buzz about the show no end. You can paper and press all you want but the movies got it right: audio visual goes a long way.
So, what should you expect? Well, certainly a play that wants to be a musical. And on top of that a lot of comedy, a set that should make Kilkenny folk very comfortable, a lot of colour and a good solid examination of mid twenties angst. We mentioned the singing and dancing and all that jazz too, right?
There’s a lot more work to go before we open Smitten on Sunday night but I guess it’s safe to say we’re getting there. We’re all the more aware that this is the last hooray for our residency here in Kilkenny Arts Office and that our 6 month, 3 play, production fest is coming to an end. All in all, it’s very bittersweet.
Which considering Smitten is an entirely bittersweet beast, is kinda apt.
John Morton – Writer/Director
Smitten opens on Sunday, June 26th and runs until Saturday July 2nd at 8pm nightly in Kilkenny Arts Office. Tickets can be bought in the venue or else online here and also can currently be booked on 0861048191.
