Sir, There are a number of issue points in Brian Boyd's coverage of this year's Murphy's Cat Laughs festival (June 1st/4th/5th), which warrant a response. The first and recurring issue is the price (£20) and content ("hardly any stand up") of the "Bill Murray and, the Second City" show. That price was set by us, not by Bill Murray as implied. For a start, Brian Boyd has been around Dublin long enough to know that £20 to see an international comedy star is scarcely unusual while on a money making level, the show made no sense to us whatsoever, nor for that matter to Bill Murray himself.
From our end, if the show had been playing in say, the Olympia Theatre, our price would have been considerably cheaper, but since the Watergate Theatre seats 328, we were forced to charge accordingly. Furthermore, this particular show had a cast of six plus director. Bill Murray received £500 per show as did the rest of the cast far, far less than our other headliners this payment was, of course, exclusive of the huge amount of press coverage generated by him being here. With regard to the actual show itself, it was never billed as stand up or indeed improvisation, but "the best of his stage material, from his days at The Second City".
Remarkably, Bill Murray brought the cast to New York (footing all accommodation/expenses) for five days rehearsal before flying into Ireland for a further week's rehearsal, which he also paid for. Brian Boyd may not like what he got, but he'd be better off reviewing what he saw, rather than what he wanted to see. And instead of devoting a paragraph, to the price, how about reviewing some more comics there were 73 to chose from.
He then writes (June 5th) "and while we're on the subject, there were no discounts on any ticket prices for either unwaged or students and in these days of people never ever having permanent jobs that has to change". Well, he's right here, but it won I change we charge these prices in an attempt to survive, not to make money (neither of us draw a salary). Charge any less, and you have no festival. For the record, on Saturday night, you could see a show for £5, £6, £6.50, £7.50, £8, £8.50, £9, £10.
In a preview article, the same journalist wrote about the organisers "Nil thios agam" approach which I think is both sharp and accurate. Nevertheless, his comment in The Irish Times news piece (June 4th) that "it came as somewhat of a surprise to the organisers that Ardal O'Hanlon's show was the quickest to sell out" is hopelessly inaccurate. We asked Ardal to headline the Watergate back in January clear in the knowledge that he was in superb form.
All of this is simply frustrating and totally at odds with the attention to detail which all of us working on this festival have attempted to cover. Yours, etc., Festival Director, MICHAEL McCARTHY, Associate Director, America,
First Floor, Upper John Street, Kilkenny, Republic of Ireland.