A Feast of Bones, Frances Kay - Theatre Lovett

From the frontline of A Feast of Bones

Frances Kay

We’re nearly halfway through rehearsals now, and, coincidentally I’ve been talking to my brother about our grandfather Edward Thornton Kay, who fought on the Western Front in France during the Great War. I hadn’t known this when I started work on the script for A Feast of Bones, which is set in 1918. My grandfather volunteered with one of the ‘Pals’ Regiments, The South Lancashires, and was very likely to have been injured at Messines Ridge in 1917 the day the Allied mines were detonated. This was the inspiration for the back story of one of the characters in my play. Thousands of Irishmen also volunteered; the first Victoria Cross (highest military honour for bravery) awarded to an Irishman was in 1915, to Michael O’Leary from Cork.

What’s this ancient War, that happened a hundred years ago, got to do with us? A very good question. At the time it was called ‘The War to End all Wars.’ But after that there was another World War, and then other bitter conflicts erupted that killed thousands of innocent people and are still going on today, in Syria and Afghanistan. War is a fact of our lives; in this play, we try to show how war might be built into our very genes, making it almost impossible to give up our notions of ‘enemies’ and ‘battles.’

In A Feast of Bones we don’t talk about the Great War, but you can find it there in the underlying mood of the play. The characters’ experiences of loss, grief and waste is happily counterbalanced by Theatre Lovett’s irrepressible humour and high spirits, which for me embody the most lovable aspects of a child’s personality, embracing tragedy and comedy in the same day, and always, I hope, ending the day sunny side up.

Frances Kay,  Writer

For more information and to book tickets click here

A Feast of Bones runs from Oct 1-6 in The Ark

Frances Kay's blog can be found here

Opening Night!

The festival has opened!

 

And compared to this time yesterday, it feels like an entirely different world. The whole festival team was running between the office and various venues getting everything in gear for opening night, and everybody was wishing for it all to go well.

Luckily it seems that it did! At around 7.35 last night, the six Wunderkammer performers took to the Gaiety stage. I had no idea what to expect from the show, and if you asked me today I probably couldn't describe it to you properly. The woman sitting behind us who kept saying "How?!" might have a better shot at it, but in her absence I'll keep quiet. All that can be said is that the show is incredible – even if you're not a fan of anything remotely connected to circus, burlesque, or strength performance in general, it's impossible not to enjoy this.

While the spotlight was on the Gaiety, there were six other shows in action last night and all reports so far have been great. Winners and Losers had great success with a full house and Germinal stole the imaginations of half of our team in its first show. Apparently this one is going to be a festival gem. Maeve's House also opened last night, and the success from its previews followed through. The Bruising of Clouds previewed in Axis: Ballymun, Tom and Vera previewed in Samuel Beckett Theatre and The Threepenny Opera previewed in The Gate, and I can't wait to see all of these.

It's going to be crazy over the next 18 days but all eyes are on the shows and the team is going to do their best to make sure it goes off without a glitch. Good luck to all! See you on the other side.

Heather Maher
Marketing and Development Intern

Tom and Vera, Desperate Optimists and Dublin Theatre Festival

Tom and Vera Set Designer, Dominique Brennan, explains the making of the stage

Tom and Vera, presented by Desperate Optimists and Dublin Theatre Festival, provides audiences with a refreshing and darkly comic take on the impact of the financial crisis on two ordinary lives.

For this production the set designer, Dominique Brennan, was presented with the task of creating a living, breathing forest within the boundaries of the Samuel Beckett Theatre, Dublin. Over the period of two days the space was transformed into a rich and striking woodland filled with beautiful birch trees, budding flora and some lurking wildlife. 

“The creation and installation of this set was intriguing but complex,” explains set designer Dominique Brennan. “The greatest challenge was to create each piece in such a way that it both stays and looks alive and well preserved – vibrancy and preservation was key.”

The forest floor was built first. This was carried out in sections using sheets of wood which were glued and covered with grass, soil and a range of forest materials such as mushrooms, daisies, rocks and logs. 

Once all the boards were complete the next stage was installing the trees. Thanks to Tree Surgeon Robert Barber an assortment of beautiful trees were sourced from the North West of Ireland. After a few hours of installation the trees were secured and put into place. Some time was spent gathering and arranging organic materials which provided the finishing touches to the intricate forest floor. The final tasks involved planting heather, shrubbery and adding a touch of nature in the form of a curious robin and fox.

This production is sure to transport its audience deep into the heart and drama of a dynamic story and a wonderfully vibrant woodland setting.

Dominique Brennan, Set Designer for Tom and Vera

 

 

Tom and Vera previews Sept 24-25 and runs from Sept 26-29 in Samuel Beckett Theatre

For more information and to book tickets, click here

For more on Tom and Vera Theatre Company Desperate Optimists, click here

In Just a Few Days - Festival Artistic Intern Aisling Galligan

In just a few days the floor boards of many stages around Dublin will be ready to be trod on by many a talented performer. In just a few days theatre foyers will be filled with chit-chat and giddy greetings and theatre seats will be filled with excited ticket holders. In just a few days, actors will be taking deep breaths as they apply their make-up, acrobats will be doing some final stretches and choirs will be perfecting their harmonies. In just a few days, the theatrical festivities will begin!

L-R: Willie White, Maeve Whelan, Aoileann Ni Riain,
Sarah O'Dea (holding the trophy!), Eimear O'Reilly
(hiding behing Sarah!), Ruth Phelan, Grainne
Pollak, Aoife Lucey, Aisling Galligan, Clara
Phelan, Sarah Bragg-Bolger, Heather Maher

In the cultural hub that is Temple Bar, there is always a buzz on the streets. The offices of Dublin Theatre Festival are nestled in the heart of this and over the next while, a large proportion of this buzz will be created from the activity and anticipation emanating from our door. After months of planning and preparation, everyone is busy with final preparations.  
Amidst all the focus on the festival dates, over the last few weeks we have also had the chance to celebrate winning the Allianz Business to Arts Award for Best Long Term Partnership with the DAA and to host a Bewley's Coffee Morning in aid of the Hospice Foundation. With a table piled high with delicious baked goods, that was a great day in the office! We also had a visit from…Louis Walsh! You never know who you'll bump into in Temple Bar! And now, after months of planning and organisation, everyone is busy with final preparations.

Lou Lou!

No doubt the DTF team will continue to work hard, (these are some of the most dedicated people I have ever met!), but we are also all eagerly awaiting the fantastic, fun moments that these few weeks have in store: for us, for the theatre companies and for all the audience members.

Bewley's Coffee Morning

These are some of the festival moments that I’m most looking forward to; maybe you can try some of them out for yourself:

1. More than one show in a day

There is nothing quite like seeing two or even three performances in a day to get the senses going. This is a chance to get the mind buzzing with ideas and questions and images. If your emotions are feeling a little disengaged as a result of the daily grind, I think this is one of the best ways to get them stirred again. Honestly, if you’ve never tried it before, you’re missing out!

2. Pre-Theatre or Post-Theatre Meals

Sitting down with some tasty food and some good company before or after a production is one of my favourite things to do, probably due to the fact that food and theatre are two of my greatest loves in life! If you eat together before the theatre, it’s a chance to catch-up, relax and get into the playful festival spirit. If you choose to dine after the production, it’s a chance to discuss all the reactions that are bouncing around inside your mind. And if you listen closely, you may hear another table discussing the festival too – how empowering it could be to feel like you’re part of a city-wide cultural conversation! Also, a few of my lovely colleagues have organised Festival Feeds in local restaurants for festival staff and anyone going to see the shows, another perk of festival time!

3. A Production in a Language Other Than English

Three Fingers Below the Knee (Portugal)

This should not be something to shy away from, far from it! There is something unusually freeing about watching a production in a different language. I recommend taking this chance to pull your focus away from just the words and allowing yourself to be captivated by wonderful images and sounds from different cultures. There are surtitles, don’t worry, so no-one should be completely lost. And you never know, it could be the perfect way to get fresh inspiration or a new outlook on the world as the chilly winter season draws near!

Taramandal (India)

Ground and Floor (Japan)

Germinal (France)

4. Following the Buzz

Contrary to popular belief, sometimes it is worth believing the hype. Some people will have the shows pencilled in their diaries for months, some will make last minute decisions to book for a show that they know hardly anything about – all will be keen to embrace the festival spirit!  The intensity of festival time creates ample opportunities to get talking to fellow theatre-goers and to learn about productions you might not have considered seeing. Then, with a racing heart and a spring in your step, it’s time to get to the box office where the brilliant team will do their utmost to help get you a ticket to the production that you have heard people raving about. But hurry, the chances are that if lots of people are talking about it, the tickets will disappear fast; the race to catch the hottest ticket in town is all part of the fun of festival season! 

5.    Sharing the Festival Experience (sometimes in 140 characters bursts!)

Just as giving is often better than receiving, recommending a production can often be better than someone else telling you about it. Because, let’s face it, who doesn’t like being the first to witness something special, or feeling that way at least! Whether it’s face-to-face, on Twitter, on Facebook, on the phone, via email or within the lines of a good old letter, engage with others and tell them what you’re loving about the festival. You may just give someone a much-appreciated nudge in terms of choosing a show and coming out to play!

So that’s it, all these moments and many more will be waiting to be experienced at Dublin Theatre Festival 2013. But, for now at least, there is more work to be done, for, in just a few days, the excitement begins…

Aisling Galligan, Artistic Intern

Book tickets at www.dublintheatrefestival.com  
Or call our Box Office on 01 6778899