Water Drops On Burning Rocks

Mon May 10th - Sat 15th , 8pm
Presented by Theama Theatre Co

The writer of this play, Rainer-Weiner Fassbinder is considered as the German Oscar Wilde. And this black comedy depicts the cynical and satirical relationship of two men seducing and abusing each other in a comic, sexual, pathetic and tragic way. But they are just mirroring our modern society.

This tragedy is very witty and sharply observed, it is a wry and comic look at the shifting of power in human relationships reduced to sexual relationship.

Leopold, a businessman seduces Franz a 19 year old boy, the youngster falls under his spell and soon moves in with him. But Leopold soon reveals his true colours as a short tempered bully and Franz contemplates returning to his girlfriend Anna, until Leopold seduces her too. The arrival of Vera, Leopold's ex-lover, a transexual complicates matters further.

Show Reviews

"Possibly the most challenging and biggest 'risk' of the Theatre Festival was the staging of German author Rainer-Werner Fassbinder's 'Water Drops on Burning Rocks' in Players Theatre TCD. Not for the faint hearted, TheAme Productions treated us to a 'menage a quartre' which left no room for normal human responses in a complex myriad of interpersonal relationships. Director Alan Kinsella evoked many styles to make this challenging work accessible to the audience and he did so with great skill. From the almost vaudevillian touches to the 'Charlies Angels' choreography, the cast of four showed no inhibition in exploring and delivering the diversity of each of the characters. This very strong team performance had no stars - it has four of them! Young actor Gary Murphy gave an extraordinarily successful portrayal of Franz that defies his obvious youth. Andrew Lummis was an awe inspiring cold and heartless Leopold Bloom (seriously!) with wonderful flashes of comic colour. Anna played by Lisa Reilly was well cast and a delightful and convincing female foil to the plot, with Laurent Salaun as the returned transsexual ex lover Vera whose soft French accented English and comic timing was sheer joy. This clever production, beautifully lit, used the facility at Players to great effect, and maintained an element of style right up to the dramatic staging of the final moments - a production not to be missed for the strong hearted and those who appreciate good theatre. " - Gordon Farrell, Scene City - June 2004