For those readers who missed the Irish premiere of Mark-Anthony Turnage's opera, The Silver Tassie, well, it was dramatic. For a start, Sam McElroy stripped down to his underpants. Phwoarr. Yes, the baritone, playing the lead role of Harry Heegan, got his kit off while singing his heart out. Sure, the night was off to a roaring start.
The choice of the Gaiety Theatre as the venue would have appealed to the playwright, Sean O'Casey, according to his daughter, Shivaun O'Casey, who attended the opening in Dublin last weekend. O'Casey would have liked the intimate nature of the production, she said. Also, the Irish premiere coincided with her father's birthday, who would have been 121 on the night.
Others at the gala night included playwright Frank McGuinness, writer Catherine Dunne, whose most recent novel, The Walled Garden, will be out in paperback next month, and poet John Montague.
