ArtScape/Deirdre Falvey: 'I'm just glad they didn't make it a one-woman show," said Brian F. O'Byrne, as well the NY-based Irish actor might - he's to play Charlo in the first stage adaptation of Roddy Doyle's The Woman Who Walked Into Doors.
He was talking at a press conference to announce the production, which started rehearsal this week and opens on May 1st at the Helix in DCU. "I've spend the morning rolling around in a bed with Hilda and dancing to Thin Lizzy - we're having fun in rehearsals," said O'Byrne. Adapted by Doyle and Joe O'Byrne, whose brilliant adaptation of Pat McCabe's The Butcher Boy into Frank Pig Says Hello augers well for this staging. It is a love story of sorts - O'Byrne says the play opens with Charlo's death, and finishes when Paula kicks him out, but in between is a flashback of the troubled, funny and brutal story of their relationship.
"In some ways it was easier to adapt than I'd have expected," said Doyle. "Because of the shape of the book, we could pick and choose our scenes," which charts 20 years in the relationship between Paula and Charlo.
The key part of Paula, whose character narrates the novel, is played by (the aforementioned) Hilda Fay, who is most familiar for her role as Tracey, the former addict-prostitute in Fair City, and five other actors form an ensemble to play a range of other characters.
The production is interesting for a number of reasons. Doyle and O'Byrne opted not to make it a one-woman show but instead have opened it out. The notion of doing a solo show, said Doyle, would have been "worthwhile and worthy, but ultimately pointless" - "we were fighting to make a play out of it, rather than one-woman talking". The novel was preceded by Doyle's sobering TV series Family about domestic violence (Ger Sweeney was Paula and Sean McGinley Charlo), after which Doyle set out to explore the character of Paula and the background of their complex relationship. So in a sense the staging of the novel from the TV series represents a coming full circle for the heartbreaking but often funny story of a charismatic monster and his battered, alcoholic wife. And this is the first involvement of the Helix in generating new work (it's a co-production with Upbeat Productions), and a significant move for the superb performance spaces at DCU. "It'll be very handy for me - I'll probably go to it every night!" said Doyle.
It's eight years since Doyle finished writing the novel, he said, and "it's still seen as a relevant book". Tickets on sale from Monday (01-7007000).
Funnily enough, an opera adapted from the novel is also on the way - produced by a Belgian company called Lod, it'll be at the Dublin Theatre Festival in October.
Reading the signs
It was interesting to note that both the Arts Minister, John O'Donoghue, and the director of the Arts Council, Patricia Quinn, were at the opening night of Eccentricities of a Nightingale at the Gate on Tuesday. We don't know if either or both enjoyed the lovely production of Tennessee Williams's little known play, and Lia Williams's stunning performance. And, more to the point, we can only speculate about what message was being sent out by either of their presence at the theatre, which has had a fractious relationship with the Arts Council.
The effects of Government cutbacks in arts funding will be severe, and will only truly be felt as the year progresses, but already there are signs. Opera Ireland's concert performances have replaced the abandoned spring opera season. And while there are new theatre productions around - Rough Magic's Shiver opened at Project last night; Stuck by David Rubinoff opens at the Focus on Tuesday; Eccentricities at the Gate this week- there seems to be a preponderance of revivals too - Eugene O'Brien's two-hander, Eden, is back at the Abbey, Twelve Angry Men returns to the Olympia next week, Fishamble's The Buddhist of Castleknock is at Andrew's Lane. All fine productions and welcome back, but is this a sign of things to come?
Speaking of Tennessee Williams, Garry Hynes is to direct A Streetcar Named Desire for the Kennedy Centre for Performing Arts in Washington D.C. next April, as part of its Tennessee Williams Explored season.
And interesting to see that the biographical chronology of Williams's life in the Gate programme was compiled by Marlon Brando, who was catapulted to fame 55 years ago for his Stanley Kowalski in Streetcar on Broadway.
Changing the tune
The period instruments ensemble, Christ Church Baroque (CCB), which lost more than half its Arts Council grant in this year's round of funding cutbacks, is undertaking a root-and-branch reorganisation, writes Michael Dervan. Mark Duley (who recently resigned his unrelated post as music director of Christ Church Cathedral in acrimonious circumstances) becomes CCB's sole artistic director. Thérèse Timoney, leader of the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, has stepped down as co-artistic director, and also relinquished her position as leader of CCB. She will, however, retain her place on the board.
CCB has also announced the appointment of its fourth general manager in under two years. Paula Phelan, who has been a member of the board, takes over from Michael Lee in September, when it's expected a full-time administrative assistant will also be appointed. And, in what's probably the most radical move from the public's point of view, CCB has decided to move its activities out of Christ Church Cathedral, where it has been based since 1996. This is intended to "create opportunities to renew the programming and development of the orchestra, and the corresponding change in identity and focus will also be reflected in a new name for the ensemble."
And furthermore . .
I love the attitude of aLAF (a Lesbian Arts Festival) that runs in Dublin from next Thursday to Sunday: their press release opens "With a wham bam thank you m'am bombardment of queer women's music, visual art, theatre, comedy, drag, film and more, this is an event you'd be sorry to miss. Girls in the know have already arranged days off work either side of the festival and notified their next of kin, because this year they expect to party." The festival promoting the profile of gay, lesbian, bi, queer and trans women features work by women from Ireland, Europe and internationally in visual art, comedy, clubbing, film shorts, and "Grrl Rock" at the George on Friday.
Described as "rock-pop and punk from girl bands with attitude, this is a night of high energy entertainment that sees Dublin's bastion of camp swamped by grrls, and we don't mean the manufactured variety". Everyone is welcome to attend aLAF. Checkout www.alafireland.com for details.
• The Ulster Orchestra has announced the appointment of David Byers to the post of chief executive. Byers, a composer and former senior producer for music and arts with BBC Northern Ireland, has spent a year as caretaker chief executive following the departure of David Fisk in December, 2001, and the fruitless recruitment exercise which followed. He has now secured the position following an open competition, and is the first Irishman to hold the post.
• General manager of the Project Arts Centre, Jenny Traynor, is leaving to take up the same position at CoisCéim Dance Theatre. With Project since January, 2001, she steered the organisation through financial restructuring and was a stabilising influence during a difficult transition period between the departure of artistic director Kathy McArdle and the arrival of current director Willie White. "All who worked with her are grateful for her steady hand and clear head during those times and wish her all the best in her new role," said Project.
Announcing Traynor's move, CoisCéim chairman Charlie O'Neill said "we are thrilled to have Jenny lead our strategic development . . . she has the proven track record, ability and vision to take CoisCéim - a sector leader in dance in Ireland - to the next crucial stage of its Irish and international development."