The Fabulous Beast — History

Fabulous Beast Dance Theatre exploded onto the Irish arts scene in 1997. It is led by Michael Keegan-Dolan, one of Ireland’s most talented, challenging and innovative artists, who demonstrates a thrilling ability to fuse the visual immediacy of dance with the narrative strength of theatre. Fabulous Beast creates productions which have their roots in Ireland and Irish experience, but which deal with universal and often controversial issues in modern society, making them accessible and challenging entertainment for a large audience from diverse backgrounds.
The company’s first production – at the Firkin Crane Centre, Cork – was Sunday Lunch, an examination of the dysfunctional Irish family, preparing for (and surviving) a Sunday lunch. It was designed by Joanna Connor, with original music by Denis Roche. It was revived in 1998 and performed in Dublin as part of the Dublin Fringe Festival. The cast was Rachel Lopez de la Nieta, Mick Dolan, Simon Rice, Jenny Roche, JJ Formento and Colm Seery.
In 1999, the company created Fragile, inspired by a quote from an early Renaissance painting – ‘Conception is sinful, Birth is a punishment, Life hard labour, Death inevitable’. Commissioned by the Dublin Fringe Festival, it was designed by Joanna Connor, with lighting by Tina MacHugh and original music by Denis Roche. The cast was Keith Synnott, Rachel Lopez de la Nieta, Bernadette Iglich and Simon Rice.
In 2000 the Project, Dublin, commissioned The Flowerbed, a work loosely based on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Set in a fictional suburban landscape, two families fight to the death over the positioning of one family’s new flowerbed. The Flowerbed was designed by Rodney Grant and music was composed by Philip Feeney. The dancers were Rachel Lopez de la Nieta, Simon Rice, Bernadette Iglich, Mick Dolan, Alex Leonhartsberger and Jarko Lehmus.
In 2001, Fragile was revived and taken to France where it represented Irish choreography at the ‘festival of new dance,’ in Uzes, outside Nimes. A new work was created for the Project later that year: The Christmas Show was an explosion of ideas relating to the meaning and significance of the ritual of Christmas. It was designed by Lebanese designer Juman Malouf, with lighting by Adam Silverman and music by Philip Feeney. The cast was Christopher Robson, Rachel Lopez de la Nieta, Guy Ryan, Jonathan Schmidt and Alex Leonhartsberger.
Giselle premiered in 2003, and took Dublin and London by storm. It examined the universal condition of human suffering, which can be exasperated by living in a small town in the centre of a rural landscape. It was commissioned and co-produced by the Dublin Theatre Festival and Barbican bite, and subsequently toured to the U.S to the New Haven International Festival of Arts and Ideas in 2004. It was designed by Sophie Charlambous, with lighting by Adam Silverman and music composed by Philip Feeney. The cast was Daphne Strothmann in the title role, Mick Dolan, Simon Rice, Vladislav Benito Soltys, Milos Galko, Emmanuel Obeya, Bill Lengfelder, Angelo Smimmo, Neil Paris and Christopher Morgan. Giselle won the Judges’ Special Award at the 2004 Irish Times/ESB Theatre Awards in Dublin, was nominated for an Olivier Award in London in 2006, and has been invited to tour all over the world.
In 2005 the company created the second part of the Midlands Trilogy, The Bull, a co-production between bite at the Barbican and the Dublin Theatre Festival. Following a sell-out run during the 2005 Dublin Theatre Festival, it will play at the Barbican in February-March 2007. The Bull is based on the ancient Irish epic The Táin. It was designed by Merle Hensel with lighting by Adam Silverman and music by Philip Feeney. The cast was Olwen Fouéré, Daphne Strothmann, Rachel Poirier, Mick Dolan, Bill Lengfelder, Robbie Harris, Colin Dunne, Conor Lovett, Gianluca Pezzino, Mani Obeya, Angelo Smimmo, Vladislav Benito Soltys, Milos Galko and Neil Paris.In 2006 Fabulous Beast was honoured to be invited to become an Associate Company to the Barbican Centre, London. The Flowerbed was revived for the Pit Theatre in the Barbican, and toured to Dublin as part of the Dublin Fringe Festival. The design was revived by Merle Hensel with lighting by Adam Silverman. The cast was Mick Dolan, Neil Paris, Rachel Poirier, Daphne Strothmann, Esther Balfe, Milos Galko and Vladislav, Benito. The Flowerbed was nominated for a Critic’s Circle Dance Award in the UK in the category of Best Modern Choreography. In 2007 the company began research on James Son of James, the third part of the Midlands Trilogy. It tells the tale of a man who returns to his home in the midlands of Ireland after eleven years in the Far East. It will have its world premiere as part of the 50th anniversary Dublin Theatre Festival in October 2007 and it will play at the Barbican in February 2008. Fabulous Beast Dance Theatre has been invited to tour on four continents in 2007-2008.


