OnTheTown: Many actors and directors were out in force for the opening night of Making History, by Brian Friel, at the Samuel Beckett Theatre in Trinity College Dublin this week.
Friel's seldom-seen play, which was first performed in Derry in 1988, is presented by the Ouroboros Theatre Company.
Among those at the opening were Annie Ryan, of Corn Exchange Theatre Company; Liam Halligan, of Storytellers Theatre Company; Eileen Sheridan, of Tall Tales Theatre Company; and Patrick Murray, set designer of Cónal Creedon's Second City Trilogy, which has its final performance at Cork Opera House tonight before going on tour. Creedon's play is also directed by Geoff Gould who directs Making History.
"This is a very interesting play. It's beautiful to me," said Phyllis Ryan, artistic director of Gemini Productions.
Derry-born Cathal MacCabe, former head of music at RTÉ and director of The Ha'penny Bridge, which opened at the Point this summer, was looking forward to the show. Others who attended included Jennie Flynn, a design student at the Dublin Institute of Design, and her friends, TCD drama students Liz Fitzgerald and Ciaran O'Melia.
The most interesting role in the play, according to actor John Anthony Murphy, from Limerick, was that of Lombard, who was played by Philip O'Sullivan. Denis Conway played the lead role of Hugh O'Neill.
"Lombard is the agitator of the argument of the play about what is history, what is heroism, what is truth," said Murphy. "The fulcrum of the dilemma of the play centres around him."
"Is breá liom an dráma," said actor Caitríona Ní Mhurchú, who was also at the Ouroboros performance. Ní Mhurchú will be playing Lady Macbeth in a production by Second Age Theatre Company at the Helix in December.
Making History, by Brian Friel, continues at the Samuel Beckett Theatre, in Trinity College Dublin, until Sat, Sept 10