A hectic undertaking on the national stage

Writing and producing six plays in a day is the focus of 24 Hour Plays at the Abbey, says Pádraic Killeen

THE 24 Hour Plays project, which debuted in 2012, returns to the capital this weekend. A fundraiser for Dublin Youth Theatre, it will see an eclectic mix of Irish theatre talent — writers, directors, and actors — assemble on Saturday night to write and perform six new plays in the space of 24 hours. Against all the odds the shorts will be rehearsed and performed the following evening.

This year the ensemble includes marquee names of Irish theatre such as Garry Hynes, Arthur Riordan, Declan Conlon, and Pauline McLynn. There is also a contingent of actors from RTÉ series Love/Hate taking part, as well as Irish songstress Lisa Hannigan, who will be performing on the night. Notably, the event is taking place at the Abbey Theatre, having played at the Project Arts Centre in 2012.

“It’s a great big jump,” says producer Eva Scanlan. “The Abbey have been fantastic to us and the monetary value of it is phenomenal. They have provided pretty much anything we’ve asked for. The same was true last year of the Project, who gave us the sun, the moon, and the stars. But it’s great to go to a bigger house. It’s a one-off show and everyone is keen to see it. It’s also a step up in prestige a little bit, and we’re attracting people of a higher profile this year. Druid theatre’s Garry Hynes is one of the directors, which is a big coup.”

The show is produced under licence from New York’s The 24 Hour Company, who have been overseeing 24 Hour Plays at venues ranging from Chicago to London since the late 1990s.

As Scanlan describes it, the whole project appears to be an exercise in deranged yet semi-structured chaos. “Everyone meets together for the first time at 9pm on Saturday night,” she says. “The actors introduce themselves and they each provide a prop and one piece of costume that they might use during the show. The writers and directors can then use the props if they need it for inspiration. Then there’s a casting session before everyone goes home — except the playwrights, who must write from between 11pm and 5am in the morning. At 7am the directors arrive and they read each of the scripts. The producers try to set them up with their preferred scripts and after that they work with the actors and crew to get the shows up for later that night.”

“It’s a surreal experience,” says Amy Conroy, who took part last year as an actress. “I was sitting backstage last year and everybody was pale with fear. It’s an incredibly mad enormous thing, but there is also a lovely sense that we’re all in it together, and the audience are really on your side.”

Conroy, the author of hit play I Heart Alice Heart I, returns this year as one of the six writers. “I’m petrified but it’s also really exciting,” she says.

That the various people involved are willing to donate their time and resources is a recognition of Dublin Youth Theatre’s ongoing contribution to Irish theatre in general.

“As soon as we mention DYT people are willing to help,” says Scanlan. “It speaks volumes about its place in Dublin theatre and our plan is to make the show an annual benefit for DYT.”

“Ireland is a really small industry and everybody knows everybody,” says Scanlan.

“And there were a couple of little in-jokes last year that just slayed everybody. So I think it is a celebration of the theatre community.”

*The 24 Hour Plays are at the Abbey on Sunday, 7.30pm. www.abbeytheatre.ie