Anseo Anois Theatre bring Leo Hanna’s new play Let’s Try Swingin' to the Dublin Fringe Festival this September - below, Anseo's Amy Kidd tells us what to expect from the company’s play that explores the world of swinging in Ireland:
"Is swinging a thing in Ireland?" Reddit user 'r/CasualIreland' took this question to the popular forum just four months ago. The answer? Oh, absolutely.
A quick scan of the comments section makes it clear that actor-writer Leo Hanna was on to something when he chose the world of the Irish swinging community as the setting of his new modern-day farce - or, as he puts it, ‘sex comedy of manners’. Ernest Worthing, eat your heart out.
Oscar Wilde might have delighted audiences with mistaken identity and cucumber sandwiches, but the characters of Let’s Try Swingin' have sloppy quiche, Rennies and, of course, the surprise bag - not to mention their own share of secrets waiting to spill out as the night unfolds.
Leo Hanna graduated from the BA in acting at The Lir (Ireland’s National Academy of Dramatic Arts) in 2020. He has a selection of impressive acting credits already under his belt; you might have seen him on screen in the Irish-Polish film Wolf with actors George Mackay, Lily-Rose Depp and Paddy Considine, in the blockbuster comedy/horror Cocaine Bear, or on a Dublin stage in Masterclass by Terrence McNally or The Giggler Treatment by Roddy Doyle. Now he’s turning his hand to writing.
When he approached us at Anseo Anois Theatre with the idea and an early draft we were intrigued; his broad comedic approach was compelling and the subject matter felt fresh and relevant.
Aided by the age of the internet it feels as though we now have more language, wider visibility and a greater sense of sexual liberation than ever, but that doesn't make it any less daunting.
It certainly seems that consensually non-monogamous relationships are on the rise. Polyamorous couples, those in open relationships and couples who swing are often defined interchangeably, but there’s actually an enormous amount of nuance and there’s no handbook (that we know of!) so each couple can set their own guidelines.
Aided by the age of the internet it feels as though we now have more language, wider visibility and a greater sense of sexual liberation than ever, but that doesn’t make it any less daunting. For couples (or single people) that are curious to explore uncharted sexual waters but wondering where to start and if they’re even welcome there, this world can be confounding. What if I do it wrong? Am I desirable enough? Do I have the sexual prowess required?
Sex is one of the most vulnerable of human experiences. Leo knows this and, like all great comedy writers, he pokes and prods at that vulnerability to maximum effect. Neither couple in Let's Try Swingin' has done this before, both are afraid to admit it. They’ve done their research. They’ve come prepared. But, well… none of them feel like the model on the lingerie box, let’s put it that way.
When it comes to states of undress, we’re used to seeing a certain type of body on our stages and screens, and Leo Hanna wants to challenge that: this might be a play about sex but, like many of us, these characters don’t always look or feel very sexy.
So. The lights are dimmed, the mood is set, the doorbell rings and off we go - on a descent into chaos and a celebration of sexual incompetence.
For our company this is a significant year. This summer marks five years since we - founder members Amy Kidd, Éanna Grogan and Oonagh Wall - formed Anseo Anois Theatre, with all the energy and enthusiasm of fresh Arts graduates and aspirations to create good work that challenged, reflected and celebrated the world around us.
We need your consent to load this Instagram contentWe use Instagram to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
Now five years later, we’re delighted not only to have survived early setbacks (predictable funding challenges and totally unpredictable pandemic cancellations) but to have grown in ambition and skill, and also in numbers since welcoming Emma Dargan-Reid and Iris Liange as members of our core team.
We are thrilled to be presenting this saucy sex comedy in Dublin Fringe this year - the company’s Fringe debut - and equally thrilled to be working with our fantastic team. Finbarr Doyle will take the helm as director with a cast of comedic firecrackers Barry Simpson, Anne O’Riordan, Ben Waddell and Emma Dargan-Reid, and design by the wonderful Iris Liange and Andrew Kerr.
We’re excited to share Let’s Try Swingin’ with you, we hope you’re excited to see it. Get ready for this sex jamboree.
Let's Try Swingin’ pemieres at The Lir Academy, Dublin from 19th - 21st September - find out more here.
Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
