Chances are if you frequent the Arts Block, you’re more than familiar with Bestseller, Dawson Street’s cosiest coffee shop. But did you know that the dimly lit seating area also doubles as a wine bar and dinner theatre in the evening? Whether you have never been to Bestseller before or you’re a regular, you have to check out their evening entertainment. For the chill, exhausted student who needs a night out that’s not too crazy, watching a performance over a glass (or two) of wine and a charcuterie board is a great way to decompress after the library or a hard day of smoking outside the Arts Block.
On a normal evening, Bestseller shuts off lights at 6:00pm for the evening, its green signage lying in darkness and its red and white striped awning rolled up to protect it from the wind characteristic of a Dublin night.
But tonight the cast has been preparing and the food is being prepped. The normal tables and chairs of the upper seating area have been sectioned off from the counter by a curtain marking the back of the theatre while a makeshift stage is rolled out mere millimetres away from closest audience members. This seating has been closed to its normal customers since 5:30pm, but Bestseller will stay open later tonight.
“With the extra room, you may also be less likely to knock over your wine glass in the dark while shifting your seating position or reaching for another slice of cheese”
The show starts at 7:00pm, but doors open at 6:00pm for food and drink so make sure to show up with plenty of time because once the curtains open and the play starts, no more orders will be taken. Seating is unassigned but not to worry, the Glass Mask Theatre advertises as a theatre “where every seat is a front row seat.” Now, if you are easily overstimulated this probably doesn’t sound like a ringing endorsement, but there are in fact seats further from the stage from where you can enjoy the show with room to breathe. With the extra room, you may also be less likely to knock over your wine glass in the dark while shifting your seating position or reaching for another slice of cheese (disclosure: advice is not derived from personal experience).
So you’ve taken your seat and settled in with your acquired treats, the candles from each individual table have been removed, and you’ve gone to the bathroom just in case to avoid the risk of not being let back in. The faint lighting of overhead bulbs wanes even further setting the audience into complete darkness. The show is about to start.
“Overwhelmed by school and not able to make it? Not too worry, the Glass Mask Theatre will be back on March 19 for the showing of Mother and Child”
Running under 75 minutes, the Glass Mask Theatre presents the Irish premiere of Country Music by Simon Stephens, directed by Ross Gaynor. Tickets are €20 on Mondays and Tuesdays, and €22-25 from Wednesday to Saturday. Debuting on February 6, the show runs until March 2. Overwhelmed by school and not able to make it? Not too worry, the Glass Mask Theatre will be back on March 19 for the showing of Mother and Child. With its continuous rotation of performances, there’s no excuse and while a €20 ticket (with the evident glass of wine and antipasto board) may sound dear, and girl math does not work in my favour in convincing you to attend as you’ll be more sober and painfully aware of the money you’re spending, it’s probably not much more than the last night out you went on.
At this point, you’ve gotten your post-worthy pictures to prove to everyone that you do fun stuff and project a bougie vibe, if deceivingly so. It almost doesn’t matter how the play goes, right? Well, it is always an added bonus when it’s enjoyable.
The curtains open and a blue haze emanates from upstage. Ominous music enters the atmosphere with a jolt, making the audience jump. While it fills the air, the blue lights morph into a red glow that lights up a man’s figure. He stands motionless, centre stage. Not a twitch, an expression of foreboding and pain fixed in place, flooding the room with a presence more profound than the lights and music combined.
“Is it the stolen car? The fact that no matter how far they run they will never be able to get away?”
Suddenly everyone is in motion. Moving back and forth across the stage, setting up the props, two chairs with a box underneath to signify the front seat of a car. A nineteen year old Jamie sits next to his girlfriend and it’s clear there’s something wrong. Is it the stolen car? The fact that no matter how far they run they will never be able to get away?
In four scenes, the play dives into the psyche of a rough Dublin lad forced to grow up too fast. Each scene presents a significant shift in time. We see Jamie at 19, 29, 39 and then again at 19. Each scene was a full immersion into this story of murder and heartache. When the characters smoked, the actors smoked, filling the room with that distinct smell of tobacco. Each chew of a piece of candy or crunch of a crisp was seen by the audience. With its intimate setting, the play felt more like a conversation between audience and storyline. Whether the performance strikes your fancy, or you end up bored out of your mind, I highly recommend the experience. Bestseller’s personal atmosphere allows the audience to truly engage with the play with a perfectly lit ambiance. The close-knit environment truly allows the actors to invoke emotion through their performance: the intention of all good and important art.
