The Civic Sessions: Recent Episodes
Civic Theatre, Tallaght
As part of our ongoing and evolving programme of support for artists, The Civic, Tallaght, is delighted to announce that AboutFACE Theatre Company will take up residency with us throughout 2020… and hopefully beyond!
Our artistic director Michael Barker-Caven sat down with Clare Monnelly as she opened her current tour of the critically-acclaimed 'Charlies a Clepto' here at the Civic.
Artistic Director of The Civic Michael Barker-Caven in conversation with and Chris McHallem (writer and actor) and Michael James Ford (Director)of Strutting and Fretting 12 - 16 Feb, 2019 Feb at the Civic 8:15pm.
What’s it like to play Macbeth ? Not to read it, or to watch it, but to stand onstage speaking those famous lines. What’s it like to look into the eyes of your fellow actors and realise that they are more interested in their film careers than in the scene that they are supposed to be performing ? What’s it like to look out from the stage onto an ocean of empty seats or to see a row of spectators desperately checking their watches ? The unconventional and provocative Strutting and Fretting will answer all of these questions and still have time to ask… Why is Lady Macbeth like Michael Caine ? Why did Taylor Swift give up on country music ? And Who is the worst actor in the world ? Chris McHallem’s acclaimed show, Strutting and Fretting, is highly recommended. Laughter is guaranteed in this irreverent drama, but along the way! “A comic gem”…Mail on Sunday “Hugely intelligent”… **** Sunday Business Post “Laugh a minute”…Sunday independent
Artistic Director of the Civic sat down with David Keegan, CEO of First Fortnight 2019 European Mental Health Arts & Culture Festival and Michelle Dooley Mahon, author of 'The Scourge' which is presented at The Civic 3-5 Jan as part of the festival.
Actor Rex Ryan sat down with our Artistic Director Michael Barker-Caven to discuss his play Pilgrim. It is a brilliant chat so have a listen and let us know what you think! They discuss the beautiful writing and the incredible story which of the many people who were in the air during the 9/11 attacks and what happened to them.
Don't miss this show it is superb!
Huge thanks to Rex for the chat!
Pilgrim plays at The Civic, September 6-7
Presented by The Gonzo Theatre
The Corps Ensemble sat down with Artistic Director Michael Barker-Caven to discuss their upcoming projects and how they do what they do!
‘I can’t help anyone unless they tell me their story. Terrible tales, fabulous tales, old tales in new skins…Transformation.’ –Kissing the Witch, Emma Donoghue
The Corps Ensemble invites you on an adventure through the world of fairytales. Exploring exciting theatrical possibilities in Emma Donoghue’s (Room, Frog Music) Kissing the Witch, The Corps Ensemble aim to challenge ideas of love, sexuality, and femininity. With intricate patterns and oral rhythms of traditional fairy tales, Kissing the Witch reveals heroines young and old in unexpected alliances – sometimes treacherous, sometimes erotic, but always courageous.
This work-in-progress presentation will be followed by an open forum audience Q&A session featuring the performers and special guest Emma Donoghue. Thursday 5th July, 4pm
Civic Theatre's artistic director Michael Barker-Caven discusses all things TRYST with the cast and writers.
TRYST runs at the Civic Theatre from 15-19 May. Tickets are available through the civic website or through Box Office.
With Davey Kelleher (Civic Theatre Artist in Residence), Finbarr Doyle, Jeda De Bri (writers), Clodagh Mooney Duggan (actor) and Katie McCann (actor) and Michael Barker-Caven (Civic Theatre Artistic Director)
Thanks to all the cast and everyone from Sickle Moon Productions!
We are bombarded by modern media. Media plays a huge role in shaping political and other decisions. We learn that most of our decisions are made on an emotional basis. Stories, myths and metaphors are the tools to shape those emotions.
This podcast is a discussion from participants about the event and what they learned at the Analysing Modern Media day of the Civic Bard Quest.
Artist in Residence at the Civic Theatre Davey Kelleher sat down with Yvonne Ussher Artistic Director of Idir Mna, Hannah Carnegie the original actor of this project and Sorcha Hegarty who is a writer for Candlelit Tales.
They discuss their production Our Lady of Last Resort: The Mamie Cadden Story. A disgraced Irish midwife turned backstreet abortionist, and one of the last women sentenced to death in Ireland at a time when a new republic was still establishing itself on the world stage.
Born Mary Anne Cadden to Irish parents in 1891 in Pennsylvania, USA; what could have been a life of opportunity ended in ruin back in Ireland; three times convicted, and declared criminally insane, Mamie Cadden died at Dundrum Central Mental Hospital in 1959. Against the changing landscape of the 30s, 40s and 50s, Our Lady of Last Resort unpacks some of the decisions that led to the spectacular downfall of a singular woman.
Sandy Dunlop and Ellen O'Malley Dunlop of Bard Mythologies discuss what's happened so far in the Civic Bard Quest and what's to come. They are joined by writer and poet Adam Wyeth and painter Paul Joyce whom both attended the first week of the Quest.
The Civic Bard Quest 2018 continues on Saturday, March 3rd where the workshop will be Analysing Modern Media and Culture. Tickets are available here -> www.civictheatre.ie/whats-on/the-civic-bard-quest/
The Civic Theatre's Artistic Director Michael Barker-Caven sat down for a discussion with local Tallaght residnet Elizabeth Kavanagh about THEATREclub's new play 'We Don't Know What's Buried Here'. Elizabeth is the curator of the panelists for the post-show discussions for the three night run.
She discusses her role as a curator with Michael and also the work that has gone into organising these important post show discussions.
Irish playwright Elaine Murphy’s debut play, Little Gem, premiered at The Civic Theatre as part of The Dublin Fringe Festival in 2008 and played to packed audiences during its sell out run. The play won the Fishamble New Writing Award and a nomination for Best New Play at the Irish Times Theatre Awards before transferring to Edinburgh’s Traverse Theatre, where it won the 2009 Carol Tambor Best of Edinburgh Award.
Elaine’s second play, Ribbons, was commissioned by the Abbey Theatre for The Fairer Sex, a series of short plays from leading female playwrights. Elaine is the winner of the Stewart Parker BBC Northern Ireland Drama Award for 2009 and was chosen as a participant of ‘Six in the Attic’, an initiative funded by the Irish Arts Council. In this podcast Elaine is in conversation with Jho Harris about her past successes and her upcoming play at The Civic Theatre, ‘Shush’
Paul Meade is a writer, director, actor and artistic director of Gúna Nua theatre. From Limerick, Paul trained at the Samuel Beckett Centre, Trinity College, received an M.A. in modern drama from U.C.D. As a director Paul has directed the award winning Little Gem and ‘Scenes From a Water Cooler’ (co-directed with David Parnell), Taste, The Real Thing and Trousers for Gúna Nua.
He has also directed ‘Translations’ for Hands Turn Theatre, ‘Medea’ for Threshold, Death and the Maiden for Mirage and most recently David Mamet’s ‘The Shawl’ for Bewley’s Café Theatre.
His work as a writer includes ‘Scenes From a Water Cooler’, ‘Skin Deep’, ‘Thesis’, ‘Trousers’ all for Gúna Nua. In 2007 Paul wrote ‘Mushroom’ for Storytellers Theatre Company. In 2007 Paul was awarded a play writing commission by the Irish Council for Bioethics. As an actor Paul has worked with companies all over Ireland and toured to the U.K., U.S.A. and Australia. Plays include: ‘Hamlet’, ‘Dinner with Friends’ and ‘Four Storeys’ for Gúna Nua; ‘Licking the Marmalade Spoon’ also by David Parnell; ‘Juno and the Paycock’ at the Abbey; ‘Silverlands’ for Druid; ‘Petty Sessions’ with Red Kettle; ‘The Ash Fire’ for Pigsback; ‘Grapes of Wrath’ for 7:84 Scotland; ‘Hamlet’, ‘Romeo and Juliet’, ‘The Tempest’, ‘Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me’ and more with Island; ‘Romeo and Juliet’, ‘The Merchant of Venice’ and ‘Macbeth’ with Second Age; ‘Hard Times’ for Storytellers; ‘God’s Gift’ with Barrabas; ‘The Glass Menagerie’ for Galloglass and ‘Alone it Stands’ with Yew Tree Theatre.
Film and Television include: ‘Alarm ‘by Gerry Stembridge, ‘The Clinic’ and ‘Whistleblower’ for RTE, ‘The Tudors’ for BBC, ‘Lassie’ for Classic Media Productions, ‘Love is the Drug’ for RTE, ‘Quando’ for Paradox Pictures, ‘Making Ends Meet’ for Indie Films, ‘Rebel Heart’, BBC and ‘On Home Ground’ for RTE.
ohn Breen is a playwright from Limerick, Ireland. He is famous for his play Alone it Stands which tells the tale of Munster Rugby Team’s legendary 12‐0 victory over New Zealand’s mighty All Blacks in Thomond Park, Limerick in 1978. In the play six actors play 62 roles including the Munster team, the Kiwis, the two coaches, the ref, the crowd, the press, a pregnant woman, several children and a dog. The Play has made it onto Broadway and this shows the immense talent of this fine playwright.
His other well‐known play is Charlie, a work on Charles Haughey, the former Irish Taoiseach, who visits a small farmer in County Mayo on his way from launching what was to becomethe Céide Fields project. As the two men talk, Haughey’s remarkable rise and fall is actingout in flashback around them.
John now resides in an environmentally friendly home just outside Ballina in County Mayo.
He also established Yew Tree Theatre Company in Ballina. Breen trained as a director under the Abbey Theatre’s Directors Scheme in 1988 and then joined the Open House Theatre Project in 1990. He has worked extensively as a director in Ireland and was Director of Theatre Studies at Ringsend Technical Institute, Dublin from 1996 until his appointment in 1999 as the Artistic Director of Yew Tree Theatre in Ballina. He was appointed artistic director TEAM Educational Theatre Company in 2008.
With thanks to www.podcasts.ie for producing The Civic Sessions.
Eugene O’ Brien is an Irish playwright, screenwriter, and actor. He is best known for his very successful play ‘Eden’ which after playing at the Peacock Theatre/Abbey Theatre in Dublin was put on in the West End of London and Broadway in New York City. In 2001 the play won the Irish Times Best New Play of the Year Award and Stewart Parker Prize. O’Brien’s second play ‘Savoy‘ premiered on the Peacock stage in 2002. The author of several radio plays for RTE ‘The Nest’ and ‘Sloth’ in 2005 he wrote the screenplay to ‘Pure Mule’ a six part television drama for RTE, which garnered five Irish Film and Television awards. As an actor he has worked for the The Corn Exchange, Bickerstaffe, Calypso, Storytellers, Barnstorm, Loose Cannon, and Glasshouse Theatre companies, and has appeared in several television series including ‘Ballykissangel’.
With thanks to www.podcasts.ie for producing The Civic Sessions.
Jack Gleeson was born in Cork, Ireland. He started acting at the age of seven in the Independent Theatre Workshop. Gleeson’s first roles in feature films were minor roles in Batman Begins (2005), Shrooms (2007) and A Shine of Rainbows (2009). In 2010 he appeared in a leading role in Alicia Duffy’s All Good Children. The reviewer for the Variety magazine considered Gleeson “the pic’s big discovery”. Jack stars in HBO’s Game of Thrones as Joffrey Baratheon a role he has enthralled TV audiences with since July 2009 as part of the initial starring cast and remains a member of the cast for the second,third and fourth seasons. He cites Joaquin Phoenix as Commodus in Gladiator as an influence on his portrayal of Joffrey. Gleeson is a student of Trinity College, Dublin, and a member of DU Players. In 2012, he was awarded a scholarship at TCD. Jack has indicated an intention to pursue an academic career rather than a professional acting career, once his work on Game of Thrones is completed. Gleeson is also one of the founders and artistic director of Collapsing Horse Theatre Company, which is based in Dublin. Collapsing Horse Theatre Company – devising collective Collapsing Horse is a new theatre collective comprised of four scholarly gentlemen, whose aim is to inspire and entertain. Founded with an interest in puppetry, music, design and comedy, the group operates as a devising collective, with the aim of producing aesthetically unified and thoughtful comedic theatre. Puppetry, musicianship, physical comedy and scripting co-mingle and inform each other from the beginning; they comprise the sinewy tendons and milky bones that cause this wonderful and powerful theatre to burst forth like some mad clopping beast.
Collapsing Horse also features Writer: Eoghan Quinn / Puppeteer: Aaron Heffernan / Design: Colm McNally / Music : Danny Forde / Performer/Ass. Producer: Jack Gleeson / Producer: Matthew Smyth
The Civic Theatre's Artistic Director Michael Barker-Caven sits down with Sandy Dunlop and Ellen O'Malley-Dunlop to discuss Irish mythology and the upcoming Civic Bard Quest 2018.
The Civic Bard Quest is a a year round journey of renewal to rediscover the lost way of the Bard. In ages past Bards helped define who we were and who we could and should be. They recognised the power of myths to shape our lives and to bring us back into harmony with the wisdom of a natural order.
Tickets are available now here -> https://www.civictheatre.ie/whats-on/the-civic-bard-quest/