Work
Press
The lighting design is subtle and effective, and the soundtrack, which is occasionally unsettling, provides the perfect accompaniment to this performance. Fearghus Ó Conchúir is exceptional, a very talented performer….The piece was choreographed by a team of six, and there is a sense of the collaborative effort here. It is profoundly emotional, hopeful and thought-provoking, and is highly recommended. Una McMahon, entertainment.ie Read article
A sequence of abstract meditations on the theme of recovery, bound together through the still centre that is Ó’Conchúir’s presence on stage, ‘Cure’ is not about the sum of its parts; rather, it’s about bringing attention to how necessary each of those individual, underlying parts are in the construction of a whole. Rachel Donnelly, DDF Blog review Read article
But, towering over all for intensity was Tabernacle , the final show of the festival in which choreographer Fearghus Ó Conchúir bravely steps into the minefield of the Irish body and its bruising and confusing encounters with the power of Catholic Church…. a layered work that is subtle, this work will surely merit a wider audience. Seona Mac Reamoinn, The Irish Times
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Tabernacle doesn’t extol or confront an audience with definitive concepts on the Catholc Church, but it refuses to shy away from it either. It’s a intricate balacing act that O’Conchúir has executed superbly, and more to the point, in a subtle and probing manner. This performance captures the process of how religion as a wider thematic structure provides a basis for the composition of ideals; how the individual learns, explores, manipulates or takes solace within this structure and how this layering of social and personal memory is reflected in the body. Eims O’Reilly, My Project blog Read review
Calmly conceived and intellectually robust, [Ó Conchúir’s artistic] strategy doesn’t just produce eloquent movement, it creates powerful art.
Michael Seaver, The Irish Times
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“The contemporary implications [of Mo Mhórchoir Féin] are gentle, questioning received truths, and as with Ó Conchúir and director Dearbhla Walsh’s previous collaboration, bringing dance into a public space, a place of communal worship.”
Seona Mac Réamoinn, Irish Theatre Magazine – Read Article
Michael Seaver writes about Fearghus in The Irish Times – Read Article
Michael Seaver writes about Sweet Spot in The Irish Times – Read Article
Pick’n’Mix featured in Waltham Forest Guardian by Mhairi Macfarlane – Read Article
Pick’n’Mix on londondance.com – Read Article
Roberta Calvi writes about Match on the B-motion blog – Read Article
“Ó Conchúir’s theme is universal and his thoughtful choreography is robust enough to take any number of readings, whatever the context.”
[Niche] Michael Seaver, The Irish Times – Read Article
‘You won’t be blown away by virtuoso tricks but you will be struck by the intelligent, experimental nature of [Dialogue] – this is essential viewing for those who like their dance thoughtful, quirky and intimate.’
Rebecca King, The Skinny – Read Article
‘Li Ke is a magnetic dancer to watch …This gentle piece is a sweet conversation between friends, punctuated with reflection and strong emotion …. it would be interesting, like friendship, to see how it develops over time.’
[Dialogue] Susannah Radford, Fringe Guru – Read Article
‘Two men, who once and for all put the coffin lid on the notion that male dancers are effeminate, bring the sweat and muscle of the pitch on to the dance floor. Yet there’s also a fine tenderness to this athletic duet, capturing camaraderie and male friendship.’ [Match] Kelly Apter – Read Article
‘crackingly good dance.’
[Match] Mary Brennan – Read Article
‘A fascinating and thought-provoking work.’
[Match] Gareth Vile – Read Article
‘affecting yet completely distinct vision of contemporary dance’
[Match] Sam Friedman – Read Article
“In Match (Ireland, 2006), directed by Dearbhla Walsh and choreographed by Fearghus O’Conchuir, the camera functions almost as an extra performer, transforming an intensely physical contact duet into a trio by the extent of its choreographic engagement. Location is also used to strong effect, as Ireland’s (deserted) national stadium provides an epic spatial arena and a charged cultural context for a male-to-male encounter exploring combat and competitiveness, with moments of tenderness and physical intimacy ultimately transcended by the will to win. The camera work mixes aerial shots with extreme close-ups, capturing an interlocked grappling of arms from beneath and following the trajectory of a movement arc with as much physical intensity as the performers themselves.”
Realtime Arts Magazine, Australia – Read Article