ARTSCAPE:IT'LL BE A bit of a homecoming this July, with Druid Theatre finally moving back to its heart on Chapel Lane in Galway following the refurbishment of its intimate theatre. And to be doing so with Tom Murphy's The Gigli Concert during the Galway Arts Festival (and touring Ireland later) seems entirely appropriate, renewing a relationship with a playwright the company worked with on Conversations on a Homecoming and Bailegangaire (Murphy was Druid's writer-in-association from 1983 to 1985 and premiered four major plays there).
The theatre, built in an old warehouse, has long been the theatre company’s home, and has been carefully refurbished while retaining the building’s character. While the capacity of about 90 won’t increase, there will be comfy seats (yea, lord), a radically redesigned foyer, an acoustically sealed and insulated theatre and good rehearsal facilities, as well as wheelchair access.
The creative birthplace for all the company's work, from JM Synge's Playboy to Martin McDonagh's Leenane Trilogy, it has a special place in the hearts of those who have seen Druid's work there over the decades.
“This building holds the memories of 30 years of magical moments out of our 34 year history,” says Druid artistic director Garry Hynes, who’s “truly delighted” to be doing “this brilliant play by Tom Murphy and to be working with Tom again”.
But while the refurbishment has been in the background for a while, Druid has bombed ahead with production plans – so much so that this year, recession be damned, it plans 335 performances in 26 venues in Ireland, the UK, USA, Australia and Canada.
The New Electric Ballroomstory continues, with Enda Walsh's play finishing its run in London's Riverside Studios this weekend (after its Australian premiere at Perth International Arts Festival) before an Irish tour next month, and its US premiere later in the year (it plays New York and Los Angeles). Walsh's companion piece, The Walworth Farce, tours the UK, USA and Canada in the autumn, and an Australian and New Zealand tour is planned for 2010.
The acclaimed DruidSynge: The Playboy of the Western Worldwill be in Galway and six UK venues in May and June, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of JM Synge's death, and there will be readings of his prose, poetry and plays during the Galway Arts Festival.
In its plans for world domination, Druid has managed to set up what seems on the face of it a barmy – if really impressive – schedule of productions all over the place this year: for example, on Friday, March 6th, Druid performed in Cavan ( My Brilliant Divorce), London ( The New Electric Ballroom) and New York (where The Cripple of Inishmaan'srun was twice extended and had the highest attendance ever for the Atlantic Theater Company, the play's co-producers).
“They have become one of Ireland’s great success stories, which is a testament not only to their artistic achievement but also their management skills in mounting several complex international tours at once,” says Eugene Downes of Culture Ireland, which supports its international touring. “Druid is now recognised by leading international festivals, venues and critics as a company of world stature,” Minister for Arts Martin Cullen says, commending Druid for its “strategic planning together with an artistic integrity”.
The Irish Writers’ Centre is far from gone, and this week, at last, a board statement “acknowledges its responsibility for mistakes made in the past and difficulties are currently being addressed”.
The director and staff have been made redundant and “swift action has been taken in response to the withdrawal of financial support and founder members Jack Harte and John F Deane have agreed to come back onto the board”.
It has been in negotiation with Arts Council and is “now considering a new vision for the centre, its transformation in the coming year, its role and mission as a centre for literature in Ireland”. It plans late spring and summer creative writing day and evening courses and genre-specific summer master classes, with part-time staff and voluntary work by board members. The centre is available for events, and “We value your participation and presence at workshops and readings and look forward to offering a lively and challenging program of courses and events,” says the statement.
Impromptu 3am performances on Grafton Street aren’t what one would normally associate with the KBC Music in Great Irish Houses Festival, but artistic director Ciara Higgins made an intriguing reference to such an occasion from last year’s festival.
Canadian soprano Measha Brueggergosman was out on the town with Higgins and pianist Dearbhla Collins when she got roped into singing on the street. Higgins told the story at the launch this week of the 2009 programme, an upbeat affair despite the gloom, with the festival rising above adversity and sounding optimistic in advance of its 40th anniversary next year.
The festival lost its Arts Council funding in this annus horribilis, but is thankful that title sponsors KBC (formerly IIB) are on board, with KBC’s Ted Marah pleased both with the sterling (ho ho) festival line-up and the bank’s annual results this week – surely an unusual state of affairs. Higgins has had to drop – for one year only she said – the festival’s Gallery Gathering and Outreach programmes because of the funding cuts, but is happy to have a mentoring programme in place.
The chamber music line-up includes two recitals in Kilruddery House in Wicklow: pianist Hugh Tinney, a former MIGIH director, and John Finucane (clarinet) with mezzo-soprano Tara Erraught, and on the following night John O’Conor and the Navarra Quartet. Ireland’s adopted musical son Philippe Cassard performs with Quatuor Ébène at both the National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin, and Fota House, Cork; and Chinese guitar sensation Xuefei Yang performs at Co Louth’s Beaulieu House with British cellist Natalie Clein. The week finishes on June 13th in the restored splendour of Castletown House in Kildare with the Belcea Quartet along with iconic cellist, Valentin Erben. See musicgreatirishhouses.com.
