Joy and good humour were unconfined last night as GLAS marked its 20th anniversary with a double bill before a capacity crowd in Geneva, raising CHF 9,100 for the Gaza School of Music, which GLAS has supported since 2016.
The evening kicked off with a delightful one-act black comedy ‘Friends help You Move’ about two inept minor criminals who end up in a life-threatening situation with a gun-toting career gangster when their plans to partner with him go awry.
The comedy emanates from the increasingly frenzied discussion about what to do with the serious criminal who has been rendered unconscious on the floor in front of them, for his ‘condescending’ attitude.
There follows a stream of amoral life-or-death exchanges between the two principals, played by John Ward and Daire O’Doherty, as they discuss the chances of the dangerous gangster (Will Finn Ramsay) on the floor suffering from irreparable brain damage or perhaps putting a bullet in him lest he come back to life and take a terrible revenge on the pair of them.
It’s a clever, well-paced drama of the absurd with echoes of ‘Waiting for Godot’, written and directed by John Ward. It’s easy to see why it won Best Original Script at last year’s European Drama Festival FEATS 24, for the Geneva English Drama Society, GEDS.
It was followed by ‘The Humours of Bandon’, written and performed by the immensely talented Margaret McAuliffe in a winning coming-of-age story about a young girl Annie, desperate to triumph in the All-Ireland Irish dancing championship.
There may have been only one woman on stage but she summoned up a host of distinctive characters and accents throughout the action in the Tallaght Basketball Arena.
The audience was immersed in the cutthroat world of Irish dancing and followed Annie as she begins to rebel against the win-at-all-costs mentality resulting in a joyous breakout from her routine of jigs and reels as she hammers the floor to the sound of Michael Jackson’s ‘Smooth Criminal’. There was no dancing in the aisles, but she brought the crowd to their feet with a well-deserved ovation for a performance full of wisdom, wit and charm.
At the outset, the audience heard the following message from the Executive Director of the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music (ESNCM), Sima Khoury Odeh:
‘On behalf of the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music, we extend our heartfelt congratulations to GLAS on its 20th anniversary. Over the years, your unwavering commitment to supporting communities through art and culture has been a source of hope and inspiration. In times of adversity, you have stood with us, helping to amplify the healing power of music and the arts. Your solidarity has been a beacon of light for countless individuals, including the children and families we serve, especially in Gaza. We are deeply grateful to the entire GLAS community for your belief in our mission and for creating a platform where compassion and creativity thrive. We look forward to many more years of making a difference together.’
Since the ceasefire, ESNMC has been able to access the conservatory building, which was unreachable since March 2024, to determine how to resume its work in Gaza City. In the coming days, they are launching the “Colors of Gaza” initiative, which focuses on music and arts activities for children in the North. They continue working with displaced communities in the center and south, where the demand for music, arts, and therapeutic activities is greater than ever. These programmes provide vital healing, recreation, and a sense of normalcy.