Smock Allies: Scene & Heard Interview: Eilís Carey & Gina Burke in Neighbourhood Watch

Friday, February 26th, 2016 at 4:32 pm | Alumni Interviews

Neighbourhood Watch takes to the Smock Alley stage this weekend and stars Full-time graduates Eilís Carey and Gina Burke.  We caught up with writer Eílis Carey to find out more….

The content of the show – druggies, gangs, criminals – all seems very relevant at the moment: is this hard-hitting theatre or are you taking a different approach?

Neighbourhood Watch actually started as a manifesto piece I wrote while I was in the Two Year Full Time Acting course at GSA, so while the topics covered in it were relevant at the time, it was in its early stages, it’s a coincidence that the same topics are so front and centre at the moment. It’s definitely not hard-hitting theatre, in that, it’s not going to change someone’s attitude towards drugs or investigate gang activity or influence opinions about criminal behaviour. It’s actually a very rural piece, based around rural fears of change and suspicions or prejudices against Dubs or outsiders in general. It’s the ‘what-if’ of these outside influences coming into a rural area and changing it while neglecting to see the faults of those already in residence around you; and the idea or image of Dublin and its inhabitants that a lot of older rural people still hold onto today that drives the piece.

Who do you think this show will appeal to?

I think the piece can have a wide appeal. The humour and phrasing is quite country which is appealing for people outside of Dublin or urban areas. At the same time, the piece reflects the stereotypical image of outsiders held by a lot of rural people, which can be appealing to an audience from non-rural areas in the same way that reading someone else’s diary to see how they really view you can have. It’s a farcical show that is meant to be taken lightly.

Can you sum up Neighbourhood Watch in five words?

Sum it up in 5 words…God…emmm: Irreverence. Suspicion. Surveillance. Ruralness. Farce.