In the maelstrom that is the Dublin Fringe Festival, a few shows stand out in the programme as being, to coin a phrase, mainstream material. Writer Gavin Kostick has been steadily impressing himself on the theatre scene in recent years, as has the company Calypso Productions, which has assembled a strong team to create his new play Asylum Ball.
Seasoned actress-director Bairbre Ni Chaoimh has two leading Irish actors to work with in Gerard McSorley and Ingrid Craigie. They are entrusted with the task of developing, over four decades, a relationship that explores the extremes of an obsessive love between a gifted musician and a beautiful heiress. It opens at the SFX City Theatre next Monday. The photo (right) shows Douglas Rankine holding Gerard McSorley's head.