IEA: Arts Ireland - April, 2000 Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit ======================================================================= ARTS IRELAND _______________________________________________________________________ Editor: Miriam Stewart April, 2000 Issue No.26 ======================================================================= Arts Ireland, from Irish Emigrant Publications, is a monthly summary of news and reviews of the latest in Irish theatre, cinema, visual art, performance and much more. Comments and questions are welcome by email to . It can also be viewed on our web pages at . > > > > > > > > > CONTENTS < < < < < < < < < REVIEWS: Theatre: - "The Playboy of the Western World" - "The House" - "On McQuillan's Hill" - "Treehouses" NEWS General: - EXPO 2000 - Lack of Funding for the Arts? - Arts Centres Everywhere - New Director for Cork Festival - and Galway too - Arts Show Update Film: - BAFTA Awards - Theatre: - Revamped Theatre in Waterford - New Abbey Co-production Music: - Cancellation of Music Festival in Great Irish Houses WHAT'S ON - A guide to plays currently running in Irish theatres - Art Exhibitions - Music - Festivals > > > > > > > > > THEATRE REVIEW < < < < < < < < < "The Playboy of the Western World" By J.M. Synge Everyman Palace Production Director: Geoff Gould At the Town Hall Theatre, Galway Synge's classic horrified Irish audiences when it was first performed at the beginning of the last century; the respectable classes were shocked by the earthy peasants portrayed by Synge. A reference in the play to a "shift' (a garment resembling a petticoat) was interpreted as a insult to the morals of Irish womanhood and riots ensued. Since then productions have been sanitised, with characters entering and exiting on cue and obeying the limits of the script. The story of "The Playboy..." needs little introduction. Christy Mahon (Michael O'Sullivan) believes he has killed his father following a row and flees to the West. There he seeks shelter in a local pub where the daughter, Pegeen Mike (Caroline Lynch), is engaged to be married to the God-fearing Shawn (Michael Russell). Impressed by Christy's bravura and notoriety, she sets out to win his hand. Everyman's production steers away from this tradition and takes "The Playboy..." to a new level; one that is raw and physical. The stage design is not the traditional interior of Pegeen Mike's pub but a platform which swathes neatly around the stage, with a moon looking benevolently on. Actors roll or pop out of the platform as fighting or script demands. This reminded me somewhat of the cliches surrounding the noisy Irish neighbour, liable to pop up at any second. This method of introducing cast was effective as it produced a fluid movement. Again, the direction has encouraged the actors to interact with one other and at times this leads to an emphasis which Leaving Cert Students may be surprised to see. The earthiness of the script is given every opportunity to emerge. This is best typified in the almost scavenging Widow Quinn (Antoinette Hilliard) who tries (and makes no bones about it) to wrestle the exotic Christy from Pegeen Mike. The humour, too, emerges with Philly (Mick Lynch) and Jimmy Farrell (David Feare) effective in their two-way banter. To the end we are caught in the whirlwind of Synge's text as the cast leap and bound across the stage. The final scenes are particularly effective. Caroline Lynch handles Pegeen Mike's scorn and betrayal beautifully, enmeshing them so that a furious girl bent on revenge emerges for that necessary split second. O'Sullivan provides a clear performance and Hilliard is powerful as the feared Widow Quinn. Two elements jarred with me, however. Occasionally the actors spoke too fast, so all the audience heard were garbled words. The music used to introduce the play (Massive Attack's "Angel") was also a little unsettling. Now, I'm glad that something different was chosen from the often inevitable fiddle-dee-dee, but Massive Attack? Is this some type of post-modern statement I'm not getting? Feel free to enlighten me! ***** "The House" by Tom Murphy Director: Conall Morrison Abbey Theatre, Dublin Reviewed by Adrian O Broin Runs until May 20. Box Office 01-8787222. This country, and the world of theatre, are truly blessed to have a playwright of Tom Murphy's calibre. As someone born in the 70s, this reviewer finds most theatrical or cinematic representations of 1950s Ireland terribly sentimental and grating. Tom Murphy's latest play (and arguably one of his very finest), "The House", breathes new life into a past time, which, although perhaps best forgotten, forever shapes the present. The play centres on the annual summer return of emigrants from England and the US, and in particular, Christy's obsession with the De Burca family and their home, Woodlawn House, in the townland of Newcastle, Co. Galway, for which an auction date has been set. Conall Morrison directs with terrific elan the unfolding drama, which takes place in Woodlawn House and the local pub. The fight scenes are also directed very naturally by Morrison and fight director Richard Ryan. Added to this is the detailed, naturalistic and highly atmospheric set design by Francis O'Connor. The acting is near-all-round excellent. The eleven primary actors are led by Patrick O'Kane as Christy, who is at once very animated and gregarious while also hiding dark truths and insecurities - at one point he puts his head in his hands, closing himself off from a world he knows resents him. Other very memorable performances include Gary Lyndon as local peer Jimmy, Andrew Bennett as Peter (who delivers some of the play's most captivating language, complete with screwy Irish/Brummy accent), and Frank McCusker's portrayal of Kerrigan, the solicitor with a sense of "place". Murphy's fluid yet striking language can be peeled like onion skin, revealing layer upon layer. The characters slowly reveal a little of themselves, yet undercurrents of unease, resentment, rage and unhappiness run throughout and often times appear at the surface. It is this sense of incertitude which draws you deep into the play. It must be safe to say that this play will reap the prizes at this year's Theatre Awards, and rightly so, as the play, production, and performances make "The House" the most riveting theatre around just now. ***** "On McQuillan's Hill" By Joseph Crilly Tinderbox Theatre Company Director: Stephen Wright At the Town Hall Theatre, Galway "On McQuillan's Hill" is a funny box of tricks. The story revolves around the return of Fra Maline (Niall Cusack) from prison as his daughter Theresa (Niki Doherty) prepares a party in his honour in the local hall. The hall has been bought by a new owner, none other than Fra's sister Loretta (Anne Bryan) who left for London twenty years earlier. She re-introduces her old boyfriend Ray (Sean Rocks), who leads the play to its disturbing revelations. There's a great deal going on this play; family secrets, quests for identity and local political intrigue combine, to be, at times, confusing bedfellows. Other times this is captivating theatre. There was a huge dichotomy between the first and second acts. The first plods or speeds along, depending on who's involved, leading to an opaque veil being thrown over the production. It's hard to tell what's going on. In the second act it all falls together for some electrifying presentation. The subject matter of abused childhood and incest is dealt with masterfully; the acting is superb and the play flows along. It's nail biting stuff. "On McQuillan's Hill" deviated from itself so much it was almost like two different plays. A pity, as once it got going it was incredible. ***** "Treehouses" by Elizabeth Kuti Peacock Theatre, Dublin Director: Jason Byrne Reviewed by Adrian O Broin Runs until May 13. Box Office 01-8787222 April is a good month for the National Theatre with another new play opening in the Peacock the same week as "The House". Following the success last year of her adaptation of Frances Sheridan's eighteenth century play, "A Trip to Bath" (renamed "The Whisperers"), "Treehouses" is Elizabeth Kuti's first full-length play. Actually until the very end it really is two plays in one, two stories running in parallel on stage. One is the story told by 70-year-old Magda, recalling in a nursing home the memory of a young Jewish boy her family was hiding during the time of the Holocaust. Her memories are acted out on stage which is also occupied by the other, young storyteller, Eva. She recounts the tempestuous relationship between her childhood self, her father and his second wife to be. The one treehouse in the play is her refuge. A barn where the Jewish boy has found refuge (however temporarily) is his metaphorical treehouse. The play's structure could have proved difficult theatre but director Jason Byrne holds the pieces together, employing some interesting visual touches along the way. Paul Keoghan's lighting also adds depth and texture to the play's layers of time and memory. Byrne is also very lucky to have such a uniformly talented cast. Most notable is Stella McCusker's powerful and flawless performance as Old Magda. Morna Regan as Eva, Gertrude Montgomery as Young Magda, Robert Price as Stephen, Sean McDonagh as The Boy, and Ann O'Neill as Ger all do justice to their roles. The play's structure is not perfect but "Treehouses" is very interesting theatre and stimulating from a playwright of obvious talent, who is just at the start of her career - a career well worth keeping an eye on. > > > > > > > > > NEWS < < < < < < < < < GENERAL - A total of 193 countries are preparing for their appearance at the world's greatest fair, EXPO 2000 in Germany. Opening on June 1 and continuing until October, EXPO 2000 offers an opportunity to showcase the best in industry and commerce. Ireland is taking a slightly different angle, concentrating on culture under the banner "Experience Ireland". This cultural programme is under the helm of Fiach MacConghail, previously director of the Project Arts Centre. Determined to show that there is more to Ireland than just boy bands and Riverdance (not for a minute suggesting that there's anything wrong with either...), highlights include performances by Donal Lunny and the RTE Concert Orchestra, Barrabas' new production "The Cube", an evening of writing and celebration from Eavan Boland, Edna O'Brien, Dermot Healy and Frank Harte, and the Gare St. Lazare Players' adaptation of Samuel Beckett's celebrated novel "Molloy". - A study comparing arts expenditure in different developed countries shows that Ireland lags behind. In the words of the report, commissioned by the Arts Council, increases in arts expenditure have not "matched the economic growth of the Celtic Tiger". A second report also painted a bleak picture for the arts. "The Creative Imperative", by the British Professor Anthony Everitt, shows that the average yearly earnings of artists in Ireland is IR12k. The report recommended introducing measures to improve their lot, such as averaging income over three years for taxation purposes and providing funding to individual artists for more than a year at a time. While the reports make a good weapon for the Arts Council in battling for further funding, they didn't pass unscathed in the Irish media. Some journalists argued that artists got too many grants and paid little tax as it is. It was also suggested that a little hardship may be good for the creative juices! Ireland has never been richer. For years the arts have received the skim of the funds, often regarded as a type of recreational luxury that was dusted down for special occasions. Maybe it's time to change that perspective. For too long the arts have remained the preserve of those who could afford it, economically and socially. The arts can be used as an effective developmental and educational tool, especially the non-verbal forms. Community art breaks down language and class barriers and enhances a sense of pride, community and esteem. Dare I hope that in such economically buoyant times the Government will buy into allowing every sector of our community, the disabled, children, travellers and the elderly, engage with their artistic side? - Certainly this seems to be a good time for the development of physical infrastructure for the arts. Three new developments were announced recently. The first of these is in Carlow. Plans are afoot for the restoration of the old town hall as a theatre, and a visual arts centre is to be constructed at a separate site. These projects are part of an overall development plan for the rejuvenation of Carlow town. Work has begun on a IR28m arts centre at Dublin City University, which will include a 1,200 seat concert hall, two theatres, a gallery space, studios and workshop spaces. The RTE Concert Orchestra and the National Chamber Choir will be in residence at the centre which is due for completion by April 2002. Also in Dublin, an arts centre, consisting of two performance spaces and recording rooms, is to be developed in Ballymun. It is expected to open in spring 2001. - Ted Turton, former artistic director of the Galway Arts Festival, is now artistic director of the Cork Midsummer Festival. This festival was previously known as Sense of Cork, but has struggled to make a strong impact. It is hoped that Turton's experience and a change of name will bring a new perspective. This year's festival runs from June 21 to 25. Meanwhile Rose Parkinson, who has plenty of experience with the Festival and Baboro, the children's arts festival, has replaced Turton as artistic director in Galway. - In February I reported that changes were afoot in RTE radio's "The Arts Show", the most popular arts programme in any medium in the country. Well, I can now confirm it. From June the show will be expanded by 15 minutes, and Myles Dungan will replace Mike Murphy as presenter. Due to the axing of the popular "Book at One" programme, "The Arts Show" will have a greater emphasis on literature. FILM - Our hopes may have been dashed at the Oscars, but the Irish film world fared much better at the British Oscars, the BAFTAs. Damien O'Donnell scooped the Best British Film Award for "East is East" and Neil Jordan deservedly received the Best Screenplay Award for "The End of the Affair". "East is East" also received a nomination for Best Foreign Film in the Italian equivalent of the Oscars, the David di Donatello Awards. THEATRE - The Theatre Royal in Waterford is officially open for business following its extensive IR1.4m refurbishment. The theatre is home to the International Festival of Light Opera and many other cultural events in the area. - The Abbey has already begun to focus on developing more collaborations with foreign companies. Valle-Inclan's "Barbaric Comedies" will be a co-production between the Abbey and the Edinburgh Festival. Frank McGuinness is to provide a new adaptation and it will be directed by acclaimed Catalan director Calixto Bieto. Olwen Fouere and Pat Leavy are rumoured to feature in the cast. The play will run at the King's Theatre, Edinburgh between August 14 and 28. MUSIC - After a somewhat shaky financial history the Music Festival in Great Irish Houses, which promotes classical performances in great houses around the country, will not take place this year. The festival lost its Arts Council funding in the early 1980s, but bridged the gap with corporate sponsorship from GPA. GPA's own finances were not that healthy at the time, and the festival was forced to find another sponsor. Allied Irish Bank stepped in, but later withdrew its funding. Last year the festival received a grant from the Arts Council which provided emergency funding and enabled it to continue. With no sponsorship, the festival committee had no choice but to cancel this year's events. > > > > > > > > > WHAT'S ON < < < < < < < < < THEATRE - The Abbey's production of Hugh Leonard's new play "Love in the Title", directed by Patrick Mason, will feature in the Singapore Arts Festival from June 7 to 8. - If you missed Druid's production of Martin McDonagh's "The Beauty Queen of Leenane" at the Gaiety, don't panic. It's coming to the Grand Opera House in Belfast from May 8-13. A warning though - if you want to see it, drop everything and book NOW. It also returns to the Gaiety, Dublin, in July, and really, booking now is advisable. Check their website at http://www.goh.co.uk for booking details. - Opening on May 8 at the Gaiety is Sean O'Casey's "The Plough and the Stars". Directed by well known Irish actor Stephen Rea, it will feature Dearbhla Molloy and Angeline Ball. Contact the Gaiety Box Office at +353-1-6771717. - The Gate's legendary production of Oscar Wilde's "Salome" is revived. Considered one of the best Irish productions of recent years, it is directed by Alan Stanford (who also plays the part of Herod). Booking is at +353-1-8744045. - Replay Productions, the North's most innovative arts in education group, present "The Lost Child" at the Ark, the children's art centre in Dublin, from April 25-29. When a pedlar and his young daughter are separated during a walk in the forest, nature comes alive to find her. Audiences are assured of a magical journey. - At the Civic Theatre Tallaght until May 5 is Common Currency's "Bimbo". This hit of last year's fringe is described as, "Newer, ruder and cruder" (worth going to see if it fits that description alone). Sharp and irreverent, "Bimbo" describes the crazy and mixed-up worlds of modern love and attraction. Contact the Civic at +353-1-4627477 or e-mail civictheatre@eircom.net. - Ballet Ireland presents its "Extravaganza 2000" which contains highlights from "Swan Lake", "The Nutcracker", "Sleeping Beauty" and "Belle Epoque". Tour dates are as follows: April 26: Watergate Theatre, Kilkenny April 29-30: National Concert Hall, Dublin May 7: Waterfront, Belfast June 17: Theatre Royal, Waterford. - The smash hit of last year's Galway Arts Festival, "Site" returns to its home stomping ground for a short run. Fir Clis presents its tongue in cheek appraisal of the building boom ravaging/enhancing (depending on your point of view) Ireland, from April 26-29 in the Black Box. Booking is at the Town Hall Theatre, Galway at +353-91-569777. - The Town Hall Theatre, Galway will host the world premiere of Marina Carr's new play, "On Raftery's Hill". Carr is one of Ireland's foremost playwrights, having penned "Portia Coughlan" and "By the Bog of Cats". A co-production between Druid and the Royal Court Theatre, London, "On Raftery's Hill" is described as a powerful and haunting story, telling of the eve of Sorrell Raftery's wedding. Booking is at the Town Hall Box Office (see above). - Currently at The Everyman Palace, Cork is a production of Marina Carr's "By the Bog of Cats", directed by Patrick Keohane. It continues until April 29. Contact +353-21-501673. - At the Lyric Theatre, Belfast is Simon Magill's production of Chekhov's "A Doll's House", adapted by Frank McGuinness. For further information contact +44-28-90381081. - On April 26, at the Belltable Theatre in Limerick, the Torch Players present "How the Other Half Love". on April 28 the theatre hosts Limerick Youth Theatre's production, "College", and the Macra Na Feirma National Drama Finals will be held over the weekend of April 29 and 30. EXHIBITIONS - Catch the last few days of "Olafur Eliasson: The Curious Garden" at IMMA. The Danish artist uses the distinctive spaces at IMMA to present a series of interrelated installations, each creating a different sensation to the viewer. It continues until April 30. - Also at IMMA are two exhibitions designed to represent points of origin in the works of major 20th century artists. The "Barry Joule Archive: Works on Paper attributed to Francis Bacon" was mentioned last month and there are no developments in the efforts to authentic the works through the select panel of experts. The second exhibition, "Picasso: Working on Paper", drawn from the Musee Picasso in Paris, the Picasso family and selected museums, concentrates particularly on Picasso's use of newspaper as a material in collages and provides a unique opportunity to explore this important but little known aspect of Picasso's work. Both exhibitions continue until the summer. For further information telephone +353-1-6129900 or check out http://www.modernart.ie. - At the Solomon Gallery, Powerscourt Townhouse Centre, Dublin until May 2, is an exhibition of paintings from the Scottish painter John Bellamy. Famed for his riotous use of colour, Bellamy attracted notoriety in the 1980s with a portrait of cricketer Ian Botham. - At the Civic Theatre, Tallaght until May 27 is "Beyond The Ashes", an exhibition of new work by Anthony Hackett. - Currently at the Kenny Gallery, Galway is "Tall Tales" , an exhibition of new paintings by Jimmy Lawlor whose work centres on the world of fishing; the fish pulsing in streams, the quickening of rivers, the grace of herons and swans. Worth visiting to observe how Lawlor uses (and depicts) light in his paintings. Opening on April 27 is "The Colours of Music", tapestries and paintings from Franco Biggs. An exhibition of cast bronze and welded sculptures from John Coll opens on May 12. E-mail medbh@kennys.ie for more information, or see http://www.kennys.ie. - Continuing at the Sligo Art Gallery until May 6 is an exhibition of recent paintings from Ffiona Lewis. Born in England, Lewis first trained as an architect before painting professionally and has exhibited in the Redfern Gallery, London. This exhibition concentrates on still life and the interaction between space and shape, rather than focusing on the essence of being of an object. This leads to an effective and cool representation. Contact the Sligo Art Gallery at +353-71-41405. - One of Ireland's foremost visual arts events is once again dispersed around Limerick city until June 4. Most of the works included in "EV+A 2000: Friends and Neighbours" are concentrated in the City Gallery where Veronica Nicholson's photographs, Anna Seagrave's video work and Swiss artist Pipiloti Rist's video installation can be examined. Federico Guzman's "Blackboard Jungle Plants" can be found in the other main venue, the City Hall. Other work can be found in a terraced house on Pery Square. A full guide to exhibitions and their locations can be obtained from the City Gallery. - The Belltable Arts Centre, Limerick is currently showcasing "Graft", an exhibition of silkscreens by Debbie Godsell and prints by Gemma Seery. Contact the Belltable at +353-61-319866 or e-mail belltabl@iol.ie. - "Exposure 99 - The Exhibition' showcases some of the moments of Irish life in 1999 through the photography of "The Irish Times". It is currently touring. In May it travels to Portlaoise County Hall and then to Arklow Community and Arts Centre. MUSIC - For full details of events at the National Concert Hall, Dublin, visit their website at http://www.nch.ie. - The ESB Vogler Spring Festival takes place this year from April 28 to May 1 at St Columba's Church, Drumcliffe, Sligo. The Vogler String Quartet will perform works by Haydn, Beethoven, Brahms, and Berg, as well as the first performance of "Counting" by Donnacha Dennehy. Special guests are Hugh Tinney (piano) and Ib Hausmann (clarinet). For more information contact +353-79-64202. FILM - Ending on April 30 at the Sheridan IMAX Cinema, Dublin is Disney's animation classic "Fantasia - 2000". Contact the Sheridan IMAX at +353-1-8174222. - Pat Murphy's film "Nora" wowed the audience during the Dublin Film Festival. A portrayal of the love affair between James Joyce and Nora Barnacle, it stars Ewan McGregor and Susan Lynch. It opens nationwide today, April 21. - A benefit screening of "The Last September" will be held in Douglas, Cork, in aid of the Edith Wilkins Hope Foundation. Directed by Deborah Warner, the film is an adaptation of Elizabeth Bowen's novel by the same name. Warner will attend the screening, as will Fiona Shaw, Keely Hawes and Neil Jordan. For bookings contact +353-21-292990. FESTIVALS - The Bray Jazz Weekend in Wicklow runs from April 28-30 and promises the best in Irish and international jazz. Artists appearing include the British singer Claire Martin, the Ray Gelato Giants and the Night in Havana Orchestra. The festival also features a jazz film fringe and, an essential part of any festival, the ubiquitous pub trail. Look at http://www.brayjazz.ie for more information. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= The Irish Emigrant - Arts Ireland Cathedral Building, Middle Street, Galway, Ireland. Editor: Miriam Stewart Tel: +353-91-569158 Email: miriam@emigrant.ie Fax: +353-91-569178 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org e-mail: nyt@blythe.org ================================================================= nytire-04.21.00-11:48:10-7624