OnTheTown: A large crowd gathered at the Helix in DCU on Thursday night for the opening of Second Age Theatre Company's latest production.
This was a particularly special opening night for Alan Stanford's adaptation of Jennifer Johnston's novel How Many Miles to Babylon?: many of those in attendance had come along to honour the memory of Rupert Murray, the leading theatre and event designer who passed away earlier this year. Proceeds for the evening were going to the Haughton Institute for Lung Cancer Research at St James's Hospital. Rupert's wife Sheila and daughter Rachel came along to the benefit performance.
Rupert had been a member of Second Age's board of management and, according to the play's producer, Cian O'Brien, "as this was our next production, we thought it was very appropriate to do something". "Rupert's position on the board hasn't been replaced yet, " noted Cian, who has recently joined Rough Magic's writing programme, Seeds, as a producer.
Director David Parnell, who was joined by his wife Louise, has recently returned from a very successful stint in New York with Trousers, which he co-wrote. "It was fantastic," enthused Parnell, "it sold out at the East 59th Street Theatre, and we were just really excited at Gúna Nua." Parnell seemed particularly happy that his Gúna Nua colleague, Trousers co-writer Paul Meade, was treading the boards in this production.
Teerth Chung, of the Gate Theatre, was one of those who was catching How Many Miles to Babylon? for the first time. "I'm sure they took my photograph only to prove to Alan Stanford that I've actually made it," she joked. Teerth, like so many of those present, had had the pleasure of working with the late Rupert Murray.
Other attendees on the night included Focus Theatre's recently appointed administrator, Patrick Stewart, Enid Reid Whyte from the Arts Council, and television personality Aonghus McAnally.
How Many Miles to Babylon? is at the Helix, DCU, until Fri, Nov 24
This is not a simple night out
A slightly flustered Sen David Norris arrived at the Project Arts Centre on Monday evening for the opening night of innovative production company Bedrock's latest offering, This Is Not a Life. The Joycean scholar had just ducked out early from a showing of John Boorman's take on contemporary Ireland, The Tiger's Tail.
"If this isn't good I'm going to rip it to shreds," joked Norris, feigning indignation, before adding, "No, I'm sure I shall achieve critical distance in the next five minutes." Norris was there to do his homework for his appearance on RTÉ's The View, and the show's presenter, John Kelly, was also in attendance.
There was a distinct air of anticipation blowing through the foyer before the performance, the audience seemingly well aware of Bedrock's reputation for producing challenging and provoking theatre.
The play's writer, Alex Johnston, wasn't giving away too much about what was to come. "It is a little bit unusual in the way it starts," confided Johnston, who is also Bedrock's literary manager, "but it becomes a lot more conventional as it goes on."
The play's director, Jimmy Fay, who is directing Richard Brinsley Sheridan's The School for Scandal at the Abbey this Christmas, was also there.
Prof Nicholas Grene, of Trinity College Dublin's English department, came to the opening night along with a friend, Jane Williams. Newstalk's Orla Barry, and colleague Tessa Delehanty were also in attendance, as well as the Dubliner's Trevor White.
Was David Norris glad he forfeited the end of John Boorman's take on contemporary Ireland for Bedrock's?
"Well, I don't know, I didn't see the last five minutes of The Tiger's Tail," he quipped, as he hurried off into the cold November night.
This Is Not a Life runs at Project until Sat, Nov 18
Stamp along with the songs
For the hundreds of guests who attended An Post's launch of a new collection of stamps on Tuesday night, queuing to pay the electricity bill or post a letter will never be quite the same again. The GPO, the location for the unveiling, was transformed by Guinness taps, a large stage and emerald green lighting into the perfect setting for a performance by some of the greats of Irish music.
The four stamps celebrate the contribution of four groups - the Chieftains, the Dubliners, Altan, and the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem - to Ireland's musical history.
Representatives of each of the groups were on hand on the night, including Altan's Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, Liam Clancy of the Clancy Brothers as well as Tommy Makem, who had travelled from New Hampshire for the occasion. The Dubliners' Ronnie Drew and Paddy Moloney of the Chieftains were also there to celebrate the launch.
Prof Iseult McCarthy, of the Stamp Design Advisory Committee, explained the difficult process involved in deciding on the most appropriate design for the stamps.
"It's always difficult," said the former head of the faculty of education at NCAD. "We are so pleased with them, because of their truth. They capture a moment in time when each group was at their peak."
Agnes Kennedy, mother of the late Frankie Kennedy, who was one of the founders of Altan, was present, and seated nearby was June Kelly, mother of musician Mark Kelly, also of Altan.
Musician Paul Brady was at the launch, and paid tribute to all the bands being honoured. "They're part of my history. The Clancy Brothers and the Dubliners were a big influence on me," he noted.
Formalities over, the various musicians took to the stage for a very special performance.
"Everybody up dancing now," roared one of the musicians. Guests needed little encouragement, and shrieks of encouragement and the sound of a hundred feet tapping in unison reverberated around the GPO.
Music to sway tough young critics
At the opening night of Winter Pictures at The Ark on Tuesday evening, it wasn't difficult to spot the hardcore critics. They sat right at the front, focused intently on the show unfolding before them, oblivious to the rest of the audience.
At one stage, one giggled loudly a number of times in succession, while another stood up and went to talk to her mammy, probably to discuss some point of serious theatrical interest or other.
Three-year-old Alex Deegan, whose giggles had filled the venue, delivered her verdict after the show: "Great!" Her Mum, Pauline Deegan, added: "She loved the music."
Music is an important part of this children's show, which is a collaboration between Welsh theatre company Arad Goch, The Ark in Temple Bar and Ennis's Glór Irish Music Centre, and received funding from Cultural Co-operation and Touring in Ireland.
"It has always been one of my favourites of our repertoire," explained the production's director Jeremy Turner, who is the artistic director of Arad Goch. "We needed a balance in the co-production, and that came in the music."
"We really wanted a play that would put Irish traditional music out there for young people," explained Eina McHugh, The Ark's director.
The composer of the live score of traditional Irish music was Mayo musician Emer Mayock. "I went to Wales and spent a lot of time with the actors and director, and then I went home and composed the score," she said.
Others who came along to enjoy the production included Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown arts officer Sharon Murphy, as well as former director of The Ark, Martin Drury.
Director of Glór Katie Verling was in attendance, as was Sarah FitzGibbon, artistic director of Dublin Youth Theatre, and her sister Alison, of Belfast company Young at Art.
The production has just toured a number of schools and venues in Wales, where it was performed through Welsh.
"It has great potential, it has real legs," said the CEO of the Temple Bar Cultural Trust, Dermot McLaughlin . He later suggested that an Irish-language version could be a future project. "But that's another conversation," he laughed.
Winter Pictures is at The Ark until Sat, Nov 18