'The Cube' (Barrabas Theatre Co.)

Meeting House Sq, Dublin

Looking like an alien Quark from Doctor Who, The Cube circled Meeting House Square at 1 mile an hour. The Cube is an 8 foot wide by 8 foot tall self-propelled vehicle, with a compact puppet theatre inside. Puppeteers, puppets and audience are transported with uncertain grace on their 8-minute trip. This feels a lot faster when suspended on one of the 'sitting-arms' on the sides of the cube - particularly when sitting on the top row. I sat on the lower row the other night (and may I thank Andrew, who sat above me, for keeping his feet off my head). The whole experience was like a "What the Butler Saw" from carnivals of old.

This is a play within a play. The real show is in watching the watchers and quite a sight it is. There are even chairs around the perimeter of the square for people to watch the people watching the moving play. Each of the four vertical sides held 6 people and, once alighted, subjects listen to earphones while peering through their own mounted binoculars to see the show. What follows is a bizarre parody of paddy-whackery. Diddly aye music plays in the earphones and you wonder if your shipmates are experiencing the same thing. The puppeteers, at times visible, place the set on a revolving platform. The first scene opens on a papier-m?h?mountain, revolving. "Ah? Ireland" in reverential tones is looped over the trad music. It?s what every American tourist takes seriously. Fade to black and four pint-of-Guinness wellies appear on the rotating platform. Guinness, of course, is a recurring theme.

I disengaged for a moment to see a crowd had indeed gathered to watch. Vigilant attendants were guiding our course. I plugged in again, comforted. Images of the Virgin Mary, a square head of Charlie Haughey gamboled around scenes from the rising. And so it goes on until the Cube gently comes to a stop, and you end where you have started.

Although free, you must pre-book tickets, but the night I went (30th August) was the first night that there were free seats. A hopeful punter was accepted. "You're just in time, my dear fellow?, I told him, ?within seconds you will be aeons away?. The Doctor's TARDIS soon spluttered as the engines lurched to life. ?Goodbye, Doctor. Enjoy the show??

katy@cluas.com

The Cube theatrical installation is now over. Closing the season in September is Peter O' Kennedy's kinetic art installation, 'Getting There', in Meeting House Square.