Aileen

Emma Moohan in Aileen. Image uncredited.

**

The issues highlighted by Rachel Gunn’s deplorable breakdance routine at the Olympics echo similar issues in theatre. Is it enough to say you were expressing yourself when a show clearly doesn’t work as well as it should? Is citing your process, or having a go, sufficient excuse when an audience have given their time and money to come see your best and get something far from ready? Should funded artists or companies be allowed falsely cite sexism, racism, choose your own, to dismiss what are justifiable criticisms? Not that Emma Moohan is by any stretch a delusional Rachel Gunn. Or her one woman show, Aileen, a no points disaster. Moohan is clearly an actress of robust talent. Even so, Aileen doesn’t do her, or fan fiction, many favours given it's far from ready. Not helped by director Gertrude Montgomery failing to give it shape despite an energised effort.

If you’ve seen the 1979 movie Alien, you know what happens. If not, you could be forgiven for thinking it was an Irish Carry On movie with the cast of Dinner Ladies serving as the ships crew. The audience, set up as shareholders sitting in on a debrief, listen whilst Aileen Ripley recounts events on the Nostromo’s last voyage. Moohan’s voices and gestures from the Victoria Wood school of impersonation telling an exposition heavy story of a close encounter of the dull kind. Just one of many old school, variety show scaffolds supporting Noonan’s unstable structure. Ripley, like a hand-on-hip Deirdre O’Kane, strikes poses whilst reliving her encounter with lover Dallas, a strange distress signal, and a chest bursting alien in a retelling both underwhelming and overwritten. Meanwhile, hard working lights by Jess Fitzsimons Kane, and an equally impressive sound design and music by Brian Keegan, try elevate proceedings even as director Gertrude Montgomery seems intent on dragging them down to the level of Nativity play. Cute when it's five year olds, less so when you have to sit through an invested but unimaginative ninety-five minutes. Five minutes of which proves genuinely funny. Which is five minutes more than those that genuinely stand out. Ending with a song a dance routine straight from the Morecambe and Wise playbook, the room is spilt in two. Family and friends up on their feet cheering. The rest of the room grimly silent, as they have been for most of the night.

If Aileen is a showcase for Moohan’s talent, it reveals an experienced actor with a commanding presence, but a comic writer with little understanding of comedy, economy or timing. From Dreamgun Film Reads to Rik Carranza Presents: Star Trek vs Star Wars, the latter currently at the Edinburgh Fringe, fan fiction is a hugely popular genre. One whose appeal is growing exponentially, and whose standards of excellence are rising all the time. Aileen, with its Irish references, might raise the odd giggle, but there’s not enough laughs, irreverence or truly original subversions to practically or imaginatively sustain it. Still, Moohan always owns her stage and Aileen does have its moments. And it’s a million miles better than what’s passing for breakdance lately.

Aileen, written and performed by Emma Moohan, presented by Venom and Duct Tape, runs at Smock Alley Theatre until August 17.

For more information visit Smock Alley Theatre