Rave Reviews for Removed as it goes digital
We have been overwhelmed with the positive feedback that has been received since Removed went digital during lockdown and appeared as part of Traverse 3.
There have been some fantastic reviews, so we thought we would share them all here if you haven’t had a chance to read them already!
Positive reviews like these give us such a boost in times like this when our plans have been put on hold!
So a massive THANK YOU for all your continued support.
THE STAGE ****
“Under the direction of Emma Jordan, Conor O’Donnell plays Adam, a young boy taken into care alongside his brother, who spends his youth bouncing in and out of foster care and homes. Seated on a sofa, O’Donnell’s intense and relatable performance is largely unadorned, allowing the audience to focus on the poignant sense of disappointment and loss he unearths.”
Full Review: https://www.thestage.co.uk/long-reviews/virtual-edinburgh-fringe-2020-week-3
BRITISH THEATRE.COM ****
“The monologue is beautifully performed by Conor O’Donnell, a highly sensitive performance, making Adam likeable from the start, and he hits the right notes of vulnerability and defiance, anxiety and hope, and excitement and guilt. (When travelling to the first temporary foster home, he is excited about the countryside, horses, the sea- things he has never seen, tempered by his guilt at leaving his mother.) The piece works so well, however, because director Emma Jordan also edits the streaming very well, there is a strong rhythm to it, with slamming of various doors giving it an effective beat, and shots of Adam’s hands, together with the faces of other children timed perfectly to hit the right notes in the text. You also become aware that removed, in the cases of some vulnerable young adults, can also mean deleted from society.”
Full Review: https://britishtheatre.com/review-removed-traverse-festival-online/?fbclid=IwAR0fgj3zhO0T20D-Pt8aGVkZcXMipKNXfWAo1Q_A7MA3eJIXoHPofSwJPNc
BRITISH THEATRE GUIDE ****
“Removed was always likely to be a hit, having already enjoyed success on both sides of the Irish border, which is no mean feat. Fionnuala Kennedy brilliantly gets into the head of Conor O'Donnell’s Adam, a Northern Irish lad with more than his fair share of troubles. Somehow, news stories and fictional representations only rarely address the life thereafter for those who have grown up in institutions. As a result, viewers will be engrossed by this section that concludes of a strong, well-acted piece which benefits not only from clever direction by Emma Jordan but also subtly placed, atmospheric videos created by Conan McIvor.”
Full Review: https://www.britishtheatreguide.info/reviews/removed-traverse-3-19336?fbclid=IwAR0fgj3zhO0T20D-Pt8aGVkZcXMipKNXfWAo1Q_A7MA3eJIXoHPofSwJPNc
2nd FROM THE BOTTOM
“This play could so easily have been one long round of clichés, but Kennedy skilfully avoids this and actor Conor O’Donnell has just the right amount of ordinariness about his characterisation to convince the viewer they are watching real testimony. Which in a sense we are, as Kennedy has taken the stories from interviews with members of the Voice of Young People In Care group; fittingly some of them make fleeting appearances at the end. Nor is it all doom and gloom as might be anticipated – many of the anecdotes raise a smile, even if, at times, it is a wry one. This piece makes inspired use of the camera to emphasise Adam’s emotions and is a clever piece of direction by Emma Jordan.”
Full Review: https://2ndfrombottom.wordpress.com/2020/08/26/edinburgh-elements-online-review/?fbclid=IwAR0fgj3zhO0T20D-Pt8aGVkZcXMipKNXfWAo1Q_A7MA3eJIXoHPofSwJPNc
LUNG HA *****
“The play is incredibly hard-hitting at times as Adam recounts several experiences of a life in different care homes, including meeting Bill and Beatrice and being separated from his six-year old brother. It is performed as a monologue and features fragmented images from Adam's past (created by Conan Mcivor), both these elements work beautifully as an invitation into Adam's world. We witness some incredibly emotionally-charged and moving moments.”
Full Review: http://lungha.com/news-post/lung-ha-reviews-removed