Scratch Bang Wallop - dramas in development seek audiences and feedback (Accidental Theatre)

Seven short dramatic performances over three nights in the fourth floor of a city centre office building.

This weekend, Accidental Theatre hosts scratch performances in their Wellington Street base (down the side of the Danske Bank headquarters) to help playwrights and dramatists get feedback on their works in development.

Last night, audiences were treated to Adam Turns’ extended examination of the Retrogradatory Power of Nicki Minaj’s (appalling) rap Only, with the chance to perform it, imagine the writing process, listen to a textual analysis, and finally draw our responses to it.

[Tied up lyricist:] I haven’t eaten food for days!

[Composer:] Excellent. Your other song-writing senses will be heightened.

Don’t Call the Shantyman by Megan Armitage took a high-energy look at the friendship between two young women as they peeled back the layers on years of hurtful words and actions. When did the relationship start to fall apart?

Second, Minute, Hour performed by Paula O’Reilly (and developed along with Patrick O’Reilly - no relation) watches Tanya’s lonely addiction to alcohol spiral out of her control. Waking up and tripping over an empty wine bottle on the floor she caresses last night’s source of comfort and quips: “didn’t realise you’d stayed over!” Fast-paced, performance art, and the bottle – along with Paula – deservedly took a bow at the end!

Accidental’s scratch series continues on Saturday and Sunday evening (7pm for 7.30pm).

Saturday

• The Premise (Michael Draine): Two men try and make a decision.
• Juliet’s Balcony (Aisling McGeown): A chapter of Juliet’s life unfolds on her balcony as she takes a chance on love and on her first serious boyfriend and learns that surprises aren’t always as happy as they seem.

Sunday

• Jellyfish (Alice Malseed and Sarah Baxter): Growing up, Alice was promised the world. What happened? This one woman show will rollercoaster you through 10 years of her life, from Belfast to London.
• The Deconstructed Coffee Episodes 2 & 3 (Gary Crossan and Chris Grant): Featuring a disgruntled waiter, a lesson in types of comedy and of course Percival Snoutington the tea-cup pig.

There’s a small bar up on the fourth floor venue. Doors open each evening at 7pm and the first performance begins at 7.30pm. Tickets available online or on the door.

This time twenty two years ago I was starting a twelve week placement as a summer student with BT up on the fourth floor of Wellington Buildings, sitting behind my VT220 terminal creating a training database using Oracle Forms on a VAX mainframe. It was strange to see the same blue window frames, the diffusers/reflectors on the fluorescent lighting that I helped to fit along with another student, and hear the same irritating ping of the lift through the double doors onto the floor!