Fringe benefits from a bright idea: The Dublin Fringe Festival is on the hunt for artists and businesses to cast some light on the city.
An imaginative and unusual element of this year's festival will involve 150 custom-designed lanterns winding their way from the Ha'penny Bridge, along the boardwalk to George's Dock, "reflecting the emerging tapestry of Dublin in 2006" for two weeks in September.
This project of festival director Wolfgang Hoffman is the first such undertaking in Dublin, and it will surely be a very visible presence for the Fringe in the city centre - as well as a pretty public display for the artists and sponsoring businesses. Hoffman is keen that this should become an ongoing project, part and parcel of the festival and a tangible engagement with the city.
The lanterns, ranging from one to four metres in height, will be created by both well-known and emerging artists, as well as community groups around the country, with companies sponsoring each individual lantern. Both artist and business will be credited at the base of each lantern. The funding body for the project is the Dublin City Council Events Unit. Among those businesses already in on the act are Fáilte Ireland, the Westin Dublin Hotel, National Museum of Ireland, Temple Bar Cultural Trust and Irish Ferries. Artists' proposals so far include maps of our transport system (or lack thereof!) to be projected onto the boardwalk underfoot, a perspex and lead butterfly emerging from a cocoon, and an apartment block filled with people who will move mechanically as pedestrians pass by.
The Fringe will run a workshop for artists in August on how to create a lantern; the top 40 artists will be given €100 towards it, the top 10 artists will get a golden ticket (access to all Fringe events), and all artists will be entered for the Best Fringe Design Award, with the winning design receiving €500.
For more information, e-mail lanterns@fringefest.com. The Dublin Fringe Festival runs from September 9th to 24th, www.fringefest.com or text "Fringe" plus your name to 53101.
An air for Ernie
Ernie O'Malley, old IRA revolutionary and champion of the arts, might seem at first glance an unlikely subject for a musical composition, but Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin's Country Cycle is that very thing. The premiere of his composition, for string orchestra and piano, was part of his evening concert at Holy Trinity Church, Westport, Co Mayo, last night.
A firm believer in a modern, independent Ireland, O'Malley was a distinguished soldier, writer, art critic and collector, and military historian. He was born in Castlebar, Co Mayo in 1897, and fought on the republican side in the Civil War. After travelling in the US he settled near Newport from 1938 to 1954. He became a writer, notable for his war memoirs, and a champion of the arts in Ireland, and he died in Dublin in 1957.
Country Cycle invokes a memory of "living Ireland" and commemorates the sustenance drawn from it by those who participated in Ireland's struggle for independence. Commissioned privately, the composition's leitmotif was inspired by the lyrical descriptions of rural Ireland written by O'Malley in his autobiographical record On Another Man's Wound.
Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin writes in the programme how "the literature from the War of Independence makes frequent reference to the bicycle journey - be it Michael Collins in Dublin, Tom Barry in west Cork or, indeed, Ernie O'Malley contemplating the four seasons of Ireland as he cycled from one engagement to another. The journey of Irish independence itself is a journey of cycles - from the cycles of previous generations, through the cycle of the independence movement itself, and on to the cycle of succeeding generations (not least our own) trying to make sense of it all within the wider dimensions of war and peace. My music seeks to unlock the deeper emotional resonances of these journeys in a country where all four seasons may be experienced within the daily cycle."
Last night's performance by the Carolan String Orchestra, an ensemble of young professional classical string players led by Aoileann Ní Dhuill, with Ó Súilleabháin directing from the keyboard, was sponsored by Mayo County Council Arts Office. Let's hope there's a chance to hear it again.
Clouds over west Cork
Bantry and Banville: what could be better for lovers of west Cork and literature, asks Angela Long. These were the twin attractions featured in the beautiful region's annual literary festival, which wound up last week. As well as John Banville, this year's Booker winner, the West Cork Literary Festival hosted Jim Crace (Being Dead), Ronan Bennett (Havoc, in Its Third Year), Lisa Appignanesi, rising star Claire Kilroy, Eoghan Harris and many other writers - accomplished talkers all.
But the warm glow of pleasure at the final "Slam" in Vickery's Inn was dimmed by uncertainty. Will this fine festival continue, and if so who is going to pay the bills? Up until now the small local publishing house Fish has run the festival, as well as a short story competition that attracts international attention. But Clem Cairns, director of Fish, is stepping aside from a main role in the business. Lorraine Bacchus, who is artistic director and multitasks to a bewildering degree, is hoping to continue if funding can be found.
"Our main sponsors are the Cork County Library and Arts Service, the Arts Council, West Cork Music and Fish Publishing," Bacchus says. "This year we had help from the local Seat dealer, O'Leary's, and from the IFI. We really need more, and more security. I don't know what will happen next year." Although working on a shoestring, Bacchus and her team have done wonders.
Film director and sometime west Cork resident Lord Puttnam, who opened this year's festival, said it was a shame that such an event should have to be scratching around for sponsorship, and that as a flagship for Ireland it deserved flagship sponsorship.
The show must go on. One can only imagine the scene at the Gate on Monday morning when Gate Theatre deputy director Marie Rooney got a call from actor Judith Roddy, who was to play Martha Culver in The Constant Wife, telling her she had broken her leg in three places late on Sunday night, all hell must have broken loose. Terrible news for Roddy. And what a challenge to retrieve the situation for that night's performance.
By 1.30pm they had secured Norma Sheehan, who had literally a few hours to read the script, have a fleeting rehearsal with director Alan Stanford (who had to be dragged out of rehearsals at the Abbey, where The Importance of Being Earnest was previewing that night - the production's return involves eight cast changes), and get into costumes and hair, both so critical in this stylish production. The first time Sheehan wore the shoes was when she stepped out on stage. Amazingly, she managed most of the performance "off-book", hardly having to refer to the discreetly placed script. What a pro.
Rooney says it was a great example of theatre in collaboration - as well as Sheehan rising to the challenge, the other actors, director and the crew really rowed in, and the Abbey and RTÉ were helpful and understanding. Sheehan had to fly down and back to Galway on Wednesday to record a radio play there - produced by Kevin Reynolds - with actor Kathy Bates, in town for the Galway Film Fleadh.
Meantime, the Gate is to lose its theatre manager after 21 years. Eamon Kenny is following his dream and moving to Tuscany to paint. Originally from Tooreen, Co Mayo, Kenny has also been assistant theatre manager and head of personnel over the course of his 21 years at the theatre. He'll be remembered as a hugely welcoming, talented, passionate and professional point of contact for those visiting and working at the theatre. Kenny says his time at the Gate has been "an amazing adventure".
The Gate is a unique and inspiring place and it's been a privilege to be part of it, he says.
"It could only be the lure of Tuscany and painting that eventually won me over. I am grateful to all I have worked with over the years and at this particular time I am very grateful to my family and friends who have all helped me to get to my next adventure. Arriverderci!"
