‘Encore’ will be called for
IF you only see one Irish history play this year, make it ‘Our Story So Far’, written and performed by Encore Productions - with a little help from their friends.
The whole idea for the project began when some of the actors, who all attend RehabCare Resource Centre in Carroll Village, Dundalk, asked - what are we going to do for 1916?
A series of workshops then began, with a time-line of the last 100 years researched at the museum, library and on the internet for events in the news, local and international over the century.
They also looked at the big events in the actors own lives since they were born. As the stories started to build up, some began to ask – but what happened before that, and before that.
Before long, there was a timeline that stretched twenty feet across the floor, going back to the time of the Ice Age and the earliest prehistoric people in Ireland.
The actors then began to create art and poetry based on what they had discovered, and started to play out their ideas based on the events and characters they were learning about.
Over the years, RehabCare in Dundalk has been working closely with many community groups and organisations to broaden the experiences of adults with intellectual disabilities.
To create an artistic response to Irish history, ten actors from the cast have been attending DKIT for the past ten weeks.
Together with social care students, under the direction of artist and lecturer Louisa Goss, they have developed a series of collage and mixed media works which are to be turned into an animated film piece ‘ The Dream of St Brigid’, which will be shown as part of the performance at An Tain theatre.
Meanwhile in Coláiste Rís, transition year students, under the guidance of TY co-ordinator Breege Marie Doran, have been hard at work together with the cast, work-shopping ideas for a ‘Vox Pop’ video which will present their ideas for Ireland’s future.
Oliver Hanratty, from Encore Productions, who plays ‘ The Bogman’, perhaps said it best – ‘It’s the story of our lives. It’s about the past, the present and the future.’
Each of the cast members and transition year students will be writing a postcard with their ‘one big idea’ for making Ireland an even better country. These cards will be on display at the theatre.
Each audience member will be given a postcard on the night, to write down their own big idea; and it is hoped to deliver all the cards and a DVD of the play to President Higgins.
‘Our Story So Far’ promises to take you on a dizzying ride through Irish history – from the glaciation to the Proclamation and beyond!
Join the cast as they battle with bears and Vikings, come face-to-face with Finn McCool and the Hound of Ulster.
Share the dream of St Brigid and sail with the Pirate Queen before witnessing the tragedy of the famine and emigrations.
Devised by the cast and featuring special guests from the MASF Dundalk School of martial arts, Carol Leavy School of Irish dance, DKIT Music Department and young musicians from Comhaltas, the show promises a feast for the eyes, with ‘ The Bogman’ as your guide
Performances are on Wednesday, 29 and Thursday, 30 June at 8pm, in An Tain Theatre, Dundalk. All tickets €5, from the box office 042-9332332 and RehabCare resource centre, Carroll Village, 042-9328766.