Galway Advertiser 1991/1991_02_07/GA_07021991_E1_019.pdf 

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T O M M a c l N T Y R E ' S V A L E N T I N E ' S C A R D F O R G A L W A Y
I t ' s every newly established theatre company's d r e a m . A n d D a v e Q u i n n a n d Sean Evers m u s t c e r t a i n l y have p i n c h e d themselves t o see i f they were d r e a m i n g w h e n they opened t h e large envelope t h a t a r r i v e d a t t h e i r office one m o r n i n g a n d o u t s l i p p e d t w o u n p e r f o r m e d plays b y one o f I r e l a n d ' s finest p l a y w r i g h t s , T o m M a c l n tyre. I spoke this week with - and Galway itself. Tom Maclntyre, who was "When I was living on down in Galway to sit in on Boffin, Galway was my two days of rehearsal with "capital c i t y " and I the Punchbag cast, and he developed a great affection told me how it happened. for the place. It's a great "I remember picking up theatre city with always a one of the daily papers last lot happening". summer and reading about this new Galway theatre L O V I A N D SEX AS company. What was said "MINEFIELDS" about them excited my in terest, so, as I had two oneThe title "Go On Red" act plays on hand, I decid and the fact that the plays ed to send them down to open on St. Valentine's see if they'd be in Day is a little bit of sly terested". humour. "The plays are all Certainly part of the concerned with love and reason Maclntyre's interest sex as minefields we all was aroused in Punchbag's have to learn how to han activities is his deep sym dle. That's all I want to say pathy with the West of before people have a Ireland - he lived on Bof chance to see them for fin Island during the '70's themselves". One of the plays - "Jack delight to work with. I Be Nimble" - was produc think both Dave and Sean ed originally at The have a great future ahead of Peacock Theatre in 1976, them and it's very exciting directed by Patrick Mason to be able to assist them in with whom Maclntyre has whatver way I can". He a long-standing relation also finds the cast very ship. The others - "Foggy fresh and enthusiatic. Hair and Green Eyes" and "They're totally open and "Fine Day for a Hunt" - have none of the slightly were "in the drawer" jadded attitude you already and just aching for sometimes find with pro performance. fessional actors". Tom Maclntyre is PRAISE FOR perhaps best known for his PUNCHBAG'S powerful play "The Great "FRESHNESS A N D Hunger", based on Patrick ENTHUSIASM" Kavanagh's poem, but he's also published an excellent Maclntyre, who is book of short stories, "The Writer-in-Residence at The Harper's Turn". Seamus Abbey this year, was down Heaney, in his introduc in Galway a few weeks ago tion, wrote that in these when the plays first went "fictions", as Maclntyre into rehearsal and this describes them, "language week he's been sitting in left to play so autonomous with Dave Quinn and Sean ly is reaching for the con Evers and the cast as they dition of poetry". put the finishing touches on Maclntyre's interest in what should be a most in the non-verbal aspects of teresting and unusual even drama is evident not only ing of theatre. in the unusual style of "Punchbag is a real "The Great Hunger", but also in the one-act plays that make up "Go On Red". " I began to feel a deep impatience with the lack of gesture and move ment and the pictorial in much contemporary drama. While a great believer in the Irish as "magicians of the word", I have tried to explore the possibilities of using these other forms of "magic" in my work". He was great ly assisted in this by team ing up with Patrick Mason and Tom Hickey, both of whom, Maclntyre adds, were just as "avid for ex ploration as I was".

Tom Maclntyre is one of the most interesting and innovative dramatists working in Ireland today. His "vote of confidence" in Punchbag should pro ve a major step forward for this newest profes sional company to come out of Galway. J.O'C.
TOM MaclNTYRE

Scenes from the special Children's Novena held in Galway Cathedral recently.
Photo* by MIKE SHAUGHNESSY