Past Productions
THE DEVIL'S LARDER adapted by Ben Harrison from the novella by Jim Crace
Commissioned by Cork 2005 European Capital of Culture as part of Corcadorca's Relocation programme
Main | Cast & Crew | What the Press Said
WHAT THE PRESS SAID
“Harrison’s astonishing command of the whole language of 21st-century theatre – text, music, movement, image and the breathing presence of the audience – never wavers”.
The Scotsman
“A scrumptious feast for every sense”
*****The Herald
“an ingenious site-specific theatrical evening that should not be missed for wither its quirky humour or architectural inquisitiveness.”
The Stage
“Grid Iron are at their scintillating best in this site-specific performance set in the dark corners of Debenhams department store. A dark, luscious treat of a show.”
The List
“Bolstered… by the music of David Paul Jones and Catriona McKay (McKay’s harps provide one of the more attractive elements) the work is sardonic and often very funny, with little scenes offered like toxic platefuls of what looks appetising but almost certainly is not. A dinner party is revived by strip fondue; a widow flavours her soup by using her dead husband’s ashes; a fisherman snacks on a pastry filled with vitamins and poisons; a group of gourmands rush to dine at a restaurant where the bushmeat could be something more sinister. And no one watching will ever feel the same about Jerusalem artichokes again. All this is managed smoothly by the vivacious and clever cast, excelling in their team-work and gliding from one personality to the other.”
The Irish Times
“the acting is exceptional, Chris (sic) Dolliver’s set and use of the old Weights and Measures building is at times magical and Crace’s stories have the capacity to knock you off balance. It all adds up to one really satisfying night of theatre. A strange, quirkily funny and fascinating end to the highly successful Relocations project.”
Cork Evening Echo
“This is as intimate as theatre gets, with the audience inches from the action, and often involved in it – an unnerving but gratifying experience…. The Devil’s Larder is an engaging ride from the outset. At once darkly humorous, overtly sexual, and wonderfully kooky, the play’s strength lies in the versatility of its actors.”
Irish Examiner
“Walking out of Debenhams and onto Princes Street after this delectable experience was like waking from a wonderful dream… An incredible cast semms to number thousands, so swift and seamless are their transformations. In fact they are just five, and each and every slice they serve up gently reverberates as the arrow hits its target. Faultless, enchanting and unforgettable.”
Three Weeks
“The tone is by turns comical, bizarre and subversive as the stories explore, through our relationship with food, the entire scope of human emotion – nostalgia, temptation, guilt, lust, gratification and fear. A haunting soundtrack, music and song from composer/musician David Paul Jones, is well devised to shift the pace and mood between the scenes…Altogether, a mermerising dramatic journey, brilliantly performed with wit, charisma, poetry and passion.”
EdinburghGuide.com
“Harrison’s staging is continually inventive, employing puppets, masks, monologue, narration and dramatic exchanges. At the end of the show mere applause doesn’t seem enough and nearly everyone comes over to congratulate the company. Such a splendid meal deserves a generous tip.”
Scotland on Sunday
“The Devil’s Larder is a glorious piece of theatre performed with great panache by a fine ensemble cast full of mischievous fun with all of them taking an obvious delight in the challenges of working with working with a promenade production. Underscoring and enhancing the production is some exquisite music composed and performed by David Paul Jones accompanied by Catriona McKay’s gorgeous harp playing. Ben Harrison’s adaptation and direction is a joy to behold, with each aspect of this production complimenting the others with music, lighting, performance and acting all wonderfully worked out making this a darkly comic and brilliant piece of theatre.”
***** Scottish Theatre Web
