Death, Joy & Storytelling: ‘WAKE’ Unleashes A Mesmerising Irish Spectacular

The Sydney Festival has arrived with over 130 shows on offer. There’s something for all tastes with many shows and events in live theatre, visual art, music and dance.

This year the festival is at several venues, including the Sydney Opera House, Carriageworks, Sydney Town Hall and the Australian Museum.

Wake is one of the many shows which should prove a crowd pleaser, a mesmerising Irish spectacular which brings contemporary Irish Culture to the stage.

A wake is a traditional gathering to remember someone who has passed. It’s like a big party to celebrate their life, share stories and support the family. There are often food, drinks and music.

Wakes are prominent events in all countries but are basically a traditional element in Irish culture.

This Irish production celebrates the glory of life through dance, song and comedy. There’s Irish dancing, pole dancing, breakdancing, aerial acts and traditional Irish music which is soulful and all about storytelling.

From the moment the lights fade, audiences will be entranced by the magic which unfolds on stage. There’s no time for restlessness. The mood alternates from loud pumping music to soft entrancing harmonies and there are times when audiences are on their feet clapping and enjoying the absorbing nature of this show.

The various acts are breathtaking, and audiences should be bewildered at the remarkable performances on stage. A live band supports a troupe of artists who have unique talents, collectively providing an entertaining, memorable and highly energetic production.

The lighting design elevates the energy on stage, adding depth to the production and amplifying the overall experience making this explosive and highly engaging.

Costumes which are also an important element in these styles of show, are vibrant adding an extra layer of excitement and compounding to the visual feast. Some of the acts are risqué with semi clad artists pushing boundaries and adding a dash of daring flair to their performances. But it’s all in good fun and shouldn’t raise eyebrows amongst the more sensitive viewers.

Wakes are not totally morbid affairs. Traditionally, there will be moments of laughter as humorous stories are shared concerning the hilarious occurrences in the lives of the deceased. Hence, there are many comical sequences in this show which are hysterical and may leave audiences gasping for air.

This is an immersive show and there will be several instances where audience interaction will be interjected, successfully compounding to the fresh and dynamic nature of the show.

Since wakes are also about eating and drinking one lucky audience member will be invited on stage to join in on a one-on-one ‘dinner date’. This is one of the comical highlights as the chosen will participate in an uproarious musical sequence alongside the comedian.

Anybody who enjoys a fun night out at the theatre should come along and enjoy a few pre-show drinks before experiencing this Irish wake. Celebrate an ending and new beginnings in this 5-star production as themes of loss, death, memories and the joy of life are explored via performance art.

WAKE is on as a part of Sydney Festival until Jan 25 at Carriageworks.