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Go down to the Barbican Centre today, and you’ll find its huge theatre shut for a refurb.
But what you’ll find instead is… a mysterious booth, showing high quality, new and exclusive five-minute Irish theatre shows for free.
While the main theatre is closed – ahead of an even bigger shutdown in 2028 – Europe’s biggest arts centre has risen to the challenge with its Scene Change season of theatre in alternative venues. And for next week-and-a-half, you can be the sole audience member in Theatre for One, a series of five minute new Irish plays staged for free in a booth in the foyer.
Theatre for One is the brainchild of Christine Jones, artistic director of Ireland’s Landmark Productions and some very big name writing talent is involved, including Enda Walsh and Marina Carr, two of the Emerald Isle’s biggest playwrights.
For members of the public, Theatre for One will work like this: you’ll go along to the big booth in the foyer, join the queue (if there is one) and when it’s your turn you’ll sit down, the door will close, and a screen in the middle of the booth will slide back revealing an actor, who will perform one of six plays to you at random.
I went along to a special press preview at which I saw all six plays, which won’t be your experience but I can confirm that they‘re all good (some better than others of course), and with gratifyingly wild variation in quality and tone, with shows running the gamut from bittersweet naturalism to goofy comedy to full tilt magical realism.
I don’t especially want to spoil the playlets as they’re so short that even revealing the premise could take away some of the surprise. One thing that’s worth stressing: it is very intense being in a booth with a single actor who is talking directly to you, and you alone. The vibes are absolutely not ‘sure, check your phone during the show, nobody will notice’ and while only one of the shows asks for audience participation (and then not a lot), the fact the actor is in most cases eyeballing you throughout kind of makes you a silent participant – an energy that some of the playlets (including my favourite, Dear Rosa by Joy Nesbitt) use very cleverly.
So yes it’s intense, but also it’s only five minutes long, and the intensity is kind of the point – you feel like you’ve seen a complete show even if it only technically took up a moment of your time.
Exactly when to go is the big question. Ideally you’d just wander past randomly and take a chance on spontaneously stepping into the mysterious booth. That maaaay not happen: bear in mind that a queue of 10 people is basically an hour’s wait and on day one people were being turned away from the queue for the afternoon slot from 1pm onwards, so if you’re making a specific journey to experience Theatre for One I’d definitely recommend either going early or late, as a lot of the rest of the time you’ll be in competition with lunch eaters and homegoers, especially midweek (the weekend might be a good shout!).
Exactly how long you’re prepared to wait for a five-minute play is between you and your god; but I don’t think anyone who gets in to Theatre for One will leave disappointed.
Theatre for One is in the Barbican foyer, next to Benugo, until Mar 22. Daily time slots are noon to 3pm and 5pm to 8pm, and given out free on a first come, first served basis.