Galway Advertiser 1991/1991_12_12/GA_12121991_E1_040.pdf 

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T AS HT '

E1 LMNI N iN ET m

C L B A I GA D C D O E E R TN EAE F

The Salmon Poets who read last Monday night in the Atlanta Hotel, L-R: Mary O'Malley, Moya Cannon, Fred Johnston, Jessie Lendennie, Patrick Boran, Anne Kennedy, and Eva Bourke
This week Salmon Publishing celebrates its 10th Anniversary. From very humble beginnings, Jessie Lendennie has established the magazine as one of the most vital and ex citing in the country, and Salmon Publishing has published a host of fine poets and writers, as well as an excellent "Guide to Creative Writing in Ireland" (Jessie Lendennie & Paddy Hickson). Gorman read at The Arts All this week the friends Centre), a publishing Openof Salmon have been help Day, and a Writing ing to celebrate this Workshop led by Jessie this milestone, with poetry Saturday (this is limited to readings (Last night Rita those who have already sub Ann Higgins and Michael Connell of the Focus Theatre. '"Aingeal an Cladaigh' is a story about beauty, greed and human stupidi t y , " says Pat. " A beautiful winged creature, (even if he is a bit decrepit) lands on earth and all people want is to make money out of him. Pat, who moved from Dublin to Galway fours years ago, has worked with M a c n a s , . He has a workshop in Spiddal where he makes puppets for Eo Teilifis's RTE productions He became interested in masks and puppets about 10 years ago when he was working with Footsbarn in America. After that, he worked on a pilot film and discovered the art involved in puppeteering. " I was in Art College for a year and couldn't decide whether I wanted to be a sculptor, painter or per former. This combined everything." mitted samples of their work for consideration). The highlight of the week's festivities, however, is the launch tomorrow night in The Bridge Mills Cafe of the 10th Anniversary Issue of The Salmon . According to Jessie, the special volume will both look backward as well as forward to the future. Salmon Publishing is located at the top of The work with the writers, Con nor and Charlie, because we knew what we wanted. After it was written we threw more ideas around and the play became what it is now." It is sometimes difficult tol strike a balance betweenl dialogue and spectacle, he) feels, but this play has sharp writing and is visually impressive. "The story itself is leppin with images, so it was dif-l ficult to pick which ones tol use. It's a lovely story," hef says enthusiastically. Among the treats in store) for the audience is Cecil, the! angel, who has a wing span! of between six and eight! feet, and who falls onto thel Taibhdhearc stage as thef play opens. There is also a Crabl Dance, featuring eight dan-l cing crabs, and a whole list| of humans, from the ar rogant Mayor, to the Sle veen and Brid Og the person| who befriends the angel. "Aingeal an Chladaigh is highly visual so is perfect for those who do not speak any or much Irish. It is also suitable for children over five, Pat says. "There is something in it! for everyone. It really is a lovely story, full of images] and resonance." "Aingeal an Chladaigh runs in the Taibhdhearc from December 12th to| 21st Judy Murphy Bridge Mills. There you'll find not only Jessie's office but also a bookshop with a range of interesting tides not easily available elsewhere in Galway. As well, you can select from a number of literary journals, both Irish and from abroad. But best of all you will find the com plete range of Salmon titles. And this week there's a 20% discount on all Salmon books! Salmon Publishing is one of the real success stories of Galway and this week Jessie Lendennie can look back with considerable pride on the achievements of the last decade.

PAT B R A C K E N A N D T H E FALLEN ANGEL
The latest production from the Irish language theatre group Na Fanaithe, opens in the Taibhdhearc tonight. 'Aingeal An Chladaigh" is based on a short story by Colombian author Gabriel Garcia Marquez, "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings". In Na Fanaithe's pro duction, the story has been moved from South America to Galway. Ac tors and puppets tell the story of an angel who falls to earth, among humans who do not know what he is or how to treat him. "Aingeal an Chladaigh" has been adapted for stage by local writing duo Connor M a g u i r e and Charlie McBride. P a t B r a c k e n , better known for his work with puppets directs it. His pup pets have starred in several RTE programmes in cluding, " T h e Whole Shebang", "Pajo's Junk B o x " and "Mise agus Pangur Ban". Pat's puppets also featured in Na Fanaithe s last show, "Yerma". This is his first time direc ting a complete production, although he has always had responsibity for his puppets' performances. While in RTE he worked with such well known direc tors as Art O Brian and An Angelic pair: Charlie McBride and Conor Gerry Stembridge He also Maguire, writer of Aingeal An Chladaigh. worked with Deirdre O

Dubliner also dates from those days. More recent is Cecil, who is the angel in Aingeal an Chladaigh. "They all have their own personalities and are great creatures. You never know what they will do or say next. You can say an awful lot with mem," he laughs. He doesn't mind other people performing with the puppets as long as they treat them sympathetically. ' 'You can tell people who like acting through them. Then there are the people who pick them up and just wiggle them," he shudders. Bridie is one of his favourites. She is a feisty old woman, with a scarf and no teeth, who has a good heart, but takes no nonsense. She is full of curiousity and honesty. Pat made Bridie for one of the actors in The Whole Sheebang. He couldn't get the character right, until he saw a woman in a pub one evening. He knew instantly what he wanted, and Bridie THE WHOLE was created overnight. Pat SHEBANG admits mat he spends a lot Pat works with foam and of time staring at people! latex, and does not general ly find his work difficult. CRAB DANCE " I trained in stone carv ing, anything is easier than He is very happy with the that," he laughs way "Aingeal an Among his creations from Chladaigh" has developed the Whole Sheebang are Kit and says the play has an ex and Caboodle, one cellent mixture of the visual mischevious, the other sad. and the verbal. Bridie, the strong minded " I found it very easy to

MUSIC AT WINKLES
Joe Burke (Accordion), Frankie Gavin (Fiddle), Ann Conroy (Guitar), Jackie Da ly (Accordion), Jacquiline McCarthy (Concertina) and Tommy Keane (Uilleann Pipes) are all playing the finest of traditional music this weekend at Winkles Hotel, Kinvara. Call 091 37137 and find out what time they're playing.

The winner of the Patri cian Musical Society's draw for two tickets for the Placido Domingo con cert which includes over night accommodation in the Berkeley Court Hotel and return rail tickets, was Una Joyce, 12, St. Enda's Road, Shantalla. Cover photograph of A ready by Noel O'Brien