There is no doubting the strength of the environmental message in Dry Rain's new production of Anne Dowie's The Boy from Beneath the Sea, for children. Although the show begins quietly as the eponymous boy (Gemma Gallagher) emerges fishlike from the ocean gasping for water-borne oxygen, the story unfolds quickly to allow the main - and by far the most exciting - action to take place back in the depths of the ocean where pollution is having devastating effects. The lively and high spirited cast (Jean Oldham is particularly good as Spike, the tough school kid who befriends the sea boy, Finbarr and is later brought into the underwater kingdom) drew the child audience into the despair felt by the ocean inhabitants because of wanton pollution wreaked by land folk. The slimy green seawitch, Sludge (Emma O'Brien) and her alterego (Claire Eglington) were a potent symbol of pollution easily understood by children even if their dialogue was, at times, rather complex for the younger ones (the show is for four to 11-year- olds). Excellent sound effects conjured up the underwater feeling while the textured costumes and colourful set - which was created by Dry Rain theatre craft children's workshops earlier this year - adequately accommodated the different seashore and ocean scenes. Somehow, it seemed strikingly relevant that following the performance in the improvised surroundings of Dry Rain's performing arts space , we saw machines digging up and taking away slimy detritus from the shoreline below the fading grandeur of Bray's promenade.

Continues on Friday at 7.30 p.m. and Saturday at 4.30 p.m. Tel: phone 01-2866830