Entertainment
Mark finds new treasures as he revisits Howie the Rookie
Arts Week with Judy Murphy – judymurphy@ctribune.ie
A new production of Mark O’Rowe’s hit play, Howie the Rookie, starring Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, and directed by the author is proving to be one of the advance hits of this year’s Arts Festival.
It’s playing at An Taibhdhearc following a successful run in Dublin’s Project Arts Centre, where it opened last month. Mark O’Rowe is relieved at the response.
“You are going back to revisit it and you just hope it will stand up, he says about the piece, which premiered in 1999 at London’s Bush Theatre.
The reviews of the current production are indicating that it has stood the test of time. In fact some reviewers say it seems more relevant in ways now than it did at the height of the Celtic Tiger.
The brutal and darkly funny play, set in working-class Dublin, centres on two men who share the same surname and who never meet.
Howie Lee sets out to get revenge on Rookie Lee on the basis that Rookie inflicted scabies on Howie’s friends. That leads to a rollercoaster ride through Dublin’s dark side, where the audience encounters, among other sundry characters, a gangland thug and a ladyboy.
This production is from Landmark Theatre Company, which co-produced the 2011 Arts Festival Hit, Misterman. Anne Clarke, who runs Landmark, approached Mark about the possibility of reviving it, with him as director – a job he had in 1999. As it happened, Mark was happy with Mike Bradwell’s original direction, but he felt the time was right for a new production and so this was a tempting offer – although one that required him to rethink the play.
“When I was offered the chance to direct it, I knew I’d have to come at it in a different way – otherwise it would be the second-best version,” he says.
The actor Tom Vaughan-Lawlor (now best known as Nidge in Love/Hate) was mentioned for a role and that gave Mark the idea to have him play both characters, Howie and the Rookie.
“He’s an amazing actor,” says Mark, who realised that having Tom play both men would give the play a new dimension and make his work as director more interesting.
“I saw him in Saved at the Abbey and then after Love/Hate, I knew he was capable of so much as an actor that if I just gave him one of the characters it would be too easy for him. He’s a nuclear weapon in terms of acting!”
As director, the casting decision lay with Mark.
“As a director you get to call the shots. The first time [in the Bush] I was there all the time making notes, so you do have power, but you also have to let the directors and actors get on with it.”
Back then, Mark wanted to protect the play. “I knew it would be hard to figure out in terms of directing and I wasn’t even sure what I had written.”
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
Folk duo Niall Teague and Pádraic Joyce are launching their new album What Will We Be, a blend of folk, Americana and acoustic music, this Friday, May 19, at 8pm in An Taibhdhearc.
The success of their well-received 2020 release Taobh le Taobh, as well as recent successes at the Pan Celtic and Oireachtas Song Contests, spurred the duo on to record this new album which represents many years of collaboration and musical development.
It features Niall and Pádraic on vocals, harmonies, and acoustic guitars, Maidhc Ó hÉanaigh on double bass and Neil Fitzgibbon on fiddle. The catchy title track, What Will We Be, features contributions from percussionist Jim Higgins (The Stunning, Christy Moore, Paul Brady) and haunting, driving melodies on vocals, guitar, and fiddle.
Themes of love and hope are woven through Come Away with Me which features interplay between piano and fiddle as well as rich vocal harmonies.
People, places, and broken dreams are celebrated and lamented on Martin and Tom, Guitar Gold, Memories of You and Achill Island. The influence of David Henry Thoreau’s novel Walden features on the tracks Simple and Wise and Walden, with the beauty of nature, escape and simple pleasures at their core.
The album moves from minimalistic folk ballads such as Galway Ghost to swirling, string-laden arrangements on the song Neptune, both of which are influenced by maritime tales from Galway. Much of the work on this album was supported by the Arts Council, including work with musical arranger Eoin Corcoran and the string ensemble Treo.
The album will be launched this Friday, May 19, at 8pm in an Taibhdhearc. Tickets €22, plus booking fee at Eventbrite.ie.
Dunmore is the place to be this weekend for lovers of traditional music, as the Galway County Fleadh will take place there from this Friday, May 19, to Sunday, May 23.
It is 10 years since Dunmore last hosted a fleadh and the local Comhaltas branch, which has re-formed since Covid, is looking forward to facilitating this gathering of music, song, dance and craic.
The official Opening Concert will take place in Dunmore Town Hall this Friday at 8pm with the acclaimed Mulcahy family from Limerick. Mick, Louise and Michelle are well known throughout the country, thanks to their live performances, television appearances and numerous CDs. They were the winners of the TG4 Gradam Ceoil Grúpa Ceoil Award for 2023. Tickets for their concert can be purchased on the door and a great night of music is promised.
Two days of competitions will kick off this Saturday at the town’s Community School, with more than 1,500 competitors taking part. Participants will be hoping to qualify for the Connacht Fleadh 2023, which will be held in Ballina, County Mayo, from June 23 to July 2.
Competitions for those aged Under 10, Under 12 and Under 15 will be held in a large variety of instruments on Saturday, as well as in singing and Comhrá Gaeilge. Sunday’s competitions will be for the Under 18 and Over 18 ages groups, as well as in dancing.
On both days a large entry is expected for Grúpaí Cheoil and Céilí Band competitions across all age groups.
Seventeen Comhaltas branches from across Galway will have participants in this weekend’s competitions, which will result in a large number of visitors to the Dunmore area.
Members of the public are welcome to attend the competitions, which offer a great opportunity to hear and see the talent on display. There will be sessions in local pubs over the weekend as well and everybody is welcome to attend these.
For more information on the County Fleadh, go to www.galwaycomhaltas.ie.
Music for Galway’s concert with renowned Swiss pianist Cédric Pescia which had been due to take place on April 27 but which had to be deferred, will now take place next Tuesday, May 23, at 8pm, in the Emily Anderson Concert Hall at the University of Galway.
This concert of German classics with Bach at its core, will brings the Bach element of Music for Galway’s 41st season to an end.
This world-class pianist who won the famous Gina Bachauer International Artists Piano Competition, has a repertoire that spans many eras from baroque to contemporary and he is widely known for his elaborate programmes. Cédric Pescia describes music as ‘language and movement at the same time’.
Audiences will have a chance to experience his soft, clear touch as he performs a programme for solo piano that will include classics such as Schumann’s popular Waldszenen (Forest Scenes), a suite of nine short pieces, and the penultimate of Beethoven’s piano sonatas, No. 31. These pieces will be interspersed with French Suites by Bach.
■ Ticket for Cédric Pescia’s concert are available at www.musicforgalway.ie, or by phone 091 705962 and on the door on the night. They cost €20/€18. The price for fulltime students of all ages is €6 while MfG Friends can avail of the friends’ rate of €16.
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