The Dublin Youth Theatre (DYT) has earned its reputation as the elite cadet corps of the theatre world, with Peter Hanley of Ballykissangel, Brian Brady, the associate director of the Abbey Theatre, and Veronica Coburn, the artistic director of theatre company Barrabas, all featuring in the "old boy" list.
United Colours of Domino is the suggestive name of the theatre's new play for its 21st year, and it kicks off next Tuesday at the Project @ the Mint theatre. Scripted by Nicholas Kelly, United Colours of Domino describes the events of one day when two youth groups - one from Dublin, the other from Kildare - are brought together for a big charity event. The cast list includes a goth-turned-punk, a traveller, a Romanian refugee (played by an Australian youngster, in a very multi-cultural moment), a hippy, and 3,000 dominoes, so inevitably, this is one charity shindig that isn't going to go quite according to plan.
Kelly, who was commissioned to write the piece, first came to the notice of DYT's artistic director, Gerry Stembridge with his play The Future Is Betamax, which was performed as part of a season of new writing in London's Royal Court in 1996. "Thematically, United Colours of Domino is about the idea of prejudice, but it tries to avoid the easy stereotypes. I suppose it really highlights the absurdity of extreme examples of optimism," says Kelly. The play is directed by John White, who is working with DYT for the first time since the success of his 1994 show with the company, Elbows Off!
One of a number of people involved in the play who had also worked with Barrabas, is artist and inventor Sean Hillen, who previously designed the set for The Whiteheaded Boy. Well-known for his tongue-in-cheek photo-montage work, most notably the Irelantis series, Hillen has concocted a series of 8-foot by 4-foot panels as a backdrop. Together they depict a giant photo of the cast members, dressed for a night out and raring to go. During the play, they gradually rotate to reveal a new, rather startling image that is being kept with the strictest of secrecy.
The original commission for the play demanded that it would involve two youth groups, as it is hoped that United Colours of Domino will become a touring production. If this takes place, the parts for one of the groups of youngsters will be played by different youth groups around the country. "It means that the whole show would be collaborative. We wouldn't just be touring to different youth groups; they'd actually be part of the play with us," explains Valerie Bistany of DYT.
United Colours of Domino runs at Project @ The Mint from November 17th to 28th at 8 p.m. For more information, call 1850- 260027, or 01-679 6622 for groups.