Swampoodle at the Uline Arena

May 3, 2011
Swampoodle

WHAT? It's the question on everyone's lips ' What is Swampoodle?'

A rundown part of town where The Beatles sang and the girls screamed? An underground ghetto where the Irish fought and died? A beat-up urban Cathedral where Malcolm X lectured Nazis and Nureyev danced? There's only one way to find out!

Let yourself go on a thrill-ride that will open your eyes to a city you thought you knew and unveil the many secrets of Swampoodle. Grab this once-off opportunity to experience the thrilling histories of DC's notorious past and relive the razzle-dazzle of the city's former entertainment mecca.

Written by Tom Swift and directed by Jo Mangan, Swampoodle is a brand new performance experience created for Washington DC's historic Uline Arena. The stadium played host to The Beatles first ever American concert and witnessed dozens of historic sporting, entertainment and political events, like Malcolm X' s address to an audience that included the leader of the American Nazi party. The arena is located on the site of DC's forgotten Irish-American shantytown, Swampoodle. The show combines the glamour of old-school show biz with the grit of an Irish ghetto to create an unmissable adventure.

Warning! Swampoodle may contain eye-popping high-wire feats, roller derby smack-downs, big-track earthmovers, brass band music and scenes of a spectacular nature. This is a promenade non-seated performance.

The Performance Corporation is Ireland's premier purveyor of site-specific spectacle and surprise. Its mission is to create daring theatrical adventures that energize, challenge, inspire and entertain audiences. Their work strives to stretch the boundaries of where, how and what theatre can be. The team relishes taking audiences on site-specific journeys to out-of-the-way places, and transforming the commonplace into a realm of dramatic possibilities. This spirit of adventure has inspired the company's previous collaborations with Solas Nua, like last year's KISS USA - a surprise Valentine's Day smooch involving 100 performers outside The White House. Also in 2010, the company gave downtown DC a surprise introduction to the Irish field sport of Hurling with GAA! - a choreographed clash of rival teams amid the lunchtime bustle of Farragut Sqaure.

Tickets can be purchased at swampoodledc.com.