Our Community Company in Residence Encore Productions updates us on all their recent activities.
With our Visit to the town of Guellen now receding into the distance of memory, Encore Productions set their sights on a new journey of learning and creativity as they begin to research and devise ‘The Beckett’ list.
Irish playwright Samuel Beckett revolutionised theatre with his plays. Works like ‘Waiting for Godot’, ‘Happy Days’, ‘End Game’ and ‘Krapps Last Tape’ continue to challenge audiences and performers alike with their refusal to conform to convention. Encore will look at and respond to a dozen of the Nobel Prize winner’s theatre pieces and will fuse this material with elements from Beckett’s life story to create an original work of theatre scheduled for June 2024.
Expect the unexpected!
In the meantime preparations are underway for ‘Cut and Paste’ – a showcase of original Poetry and Art works created mostly by residency Members who attend on Wednesdays at An Tain Arts Centre. Works by some of our regular actors as well as service users from RehabCare Resource centre in Carroll Village will also feature.
Art sessions were facilitated by local Artist Orlaith Cullinane who worked with textured papers and old books from charity shops to create collage work with an emphasis on contrast and connection. It was this technique of ‘cut and paste’ as well as the piecing together of scraps of memory in the writing process that gave the evening its name. Artists Rachel Tinniswood and Michael Stafford facilitated the creation of further artworks.
Featured poets and artists include, Moninna McCarthy, Mairead McBride, Liam O’Reilly, Callum O’Brennan, Nicki Cormican, Brendan O’Shea, Olivia McGinnity, Martin Hanley, Anita Guest, John Stokes, John Clinton, Sarah Malone, John Marron, Therese Baxter, Oliver Hanratty, Paddy Durnin, Melissa Fox, Gavin Holmes and Steven Mannison.
Actors Karen Shields, Calvin McGee, Maeve and Jack Montgomery will lend their voices to the words. Former An Táin Arts Centre’s folk musician in residence, master uilleann piper Brendan McCreanor shall weave his music around and through the voices. Actors Caoimhe Gleeson, Paudie Breen, Brenda Cunningham and Vincent Casey filmed their responses to the poems. The films and art works shall be projected as a compliment to the music and words.
Our previous poetry evenings have been very special affairs with ‘Cut and Paste’ shaping up to be equally magical.
See you there!
Sandy Sneddon
Encore Productions.