Emigrant Woman’s Tale a timely treat at An Táin
The Emigrant Woman’s Tale, which comes to An Táin Arts Centre on Friday February 7, is a timely story told through poetry, song and spoken words. It describes poet Csilla Toldy’s growing up and escape from Communist Hungary to eventually living in Northern Ireland along with songwriter Fil Campbell’s story of growing up on the Irish border and staying in Northern Ireland throughout the conflict. Csilla now lives in Northern Ireland in Rostrevor, while Fil is well known to local folk music fans, and together they weave an intriguing story of how borders affect all our lives.
Born in 1963 in Budapest, Cscilla she escaped from the socialist Hungary in 1981 and for the next three years lived in many European countries - France, Austria and Germany, where she finally settled and finished her studies in 1991.
She moved to the British Isles to work on films and received a MA in Creative Writing for Film and Television from Sheffield University in 2003. She has published two books of poetry, a collection of short stories and is working on her first novel. She has also made a documentary The Bloom Mystery, which looked at the Irish and Hungarian connections of James Joyce. A play originating from this work was performed in the Irish Writers Centre as well as at the first Rostrevor Bloomsday Festival.
Fil Campbell was born in Co. Fermanagh in 1958 and grew up on the Donegal border. She is a singer and songwriter and plays piano and guitar. After studying music and English at QUB in Belfast, she went on to have a career in music, as a performer, radio presenter and documentary maker. She has recorded 10 CDs to date, the two latest, duo albums with her partner Tom McFarland, and has an extensive repertoire of both traditional and original material pertaining to women and their migration in and out of Ireland.
This collaboration sees Fil’s humorous narrative as a counterpoint to the serious aspect of Csilla escape from Hungary crossing borders in the East illegally and eventually ending up in Paris aged just 18.
The show has been warmly received with musican and radio presenter Colum
Sands saying: “Fil Campbell and Csilla Toldy draw on memories of Belleek and Budapest to weave a striking tapestry of song, poetry and spoken word. They take their audience on a journey that crosses borders on maps and in minds in search of that elusive place that we call home. An inspirational performance that is sometimes humorous, often moving
and always thought provoking....highly recommended.’
Tickets for the show, €15, concessions €12 plus €1.50 booking fee, are available from the Box Office, An Táin Arts Centre, Crowe Street, ph 9332332 or online www. antain.ie 2
Mike Denver will be joined by special guests in concert on Saturday night in the Carrickdale