Galway Advertiser 1993/1993_03_04/GA_04031993_E1_020.pdf 

Extracted text

Galway Advertiser,

4th March,

1993

THAT'S

ETRAMN NETI ET N

GALWAY
Believe me, you need a lot of energy to be a member of Galway Youth Theatre! As Patricia Mullins, whose been with GYT from the beginning told me this week, "It's not just a matter of putting on plays. It's a full-time training that keeps you occupied pretty much full-time." GYT's most recent sue- is taking an original angle on cess was the sparkling com music with the GYT edy "Goodnight Letter students. Next week Rebec frack", directed by David ca Bartlett will be examin Grant which played to pack ing stimulus materials, such ed houses in Nun's Island as poems and stories, and Arts Centre recently. Since how they can be the basis for then, as Patricia explained to developing short plays and me, it's been back to the sketches. demanding and very impor Explains Patricia, "One tant day-to-day v ork of of the aims of these theatrical training, which is workshops is that we are really what GYT is all learning new skills that we about. can use to work with The morning I called in children in particular." Both to Nun's Island Kathie Geri and Rita are very en Prince was holding a music thusiastic about what workshop in the stage area they've learned already in with a group of seven the workshops. "We've women. Five of them - both gained lots of ideas that Michelle Fennessy, Maria we feel we can make great Fleming, Jane Nettle- use of in the groups we're ingham, Eilin O Dea and already associated with", Patrica Mullins - are says Rita. members of GYT. The other The GYT group, along two - Rita McDonagh and with Geri and Rita, have Geri Sleven - are associated also had one weekend ses with, respectively, sion with John White who Westside's Le Cheile drama used "Trafford Tanzi", a group, and Bohermore play he's been connected Community Drama, both with in Dublin as the basis groups that work with for a workshop, and another children. is coming up with Cathy Kathie was asking them McArdle which will centre to clap hands and snap around what sounds like a fingers in rhythms that rose fascinating theme - the lyrics and fell like music or, as one of The Sawdoctors which delighted participant observ sounds like a lot of fun. ed, "like the sound of rain Maybe Davy Carton will be falling". Kathie described it brought in as a guest as "a listening exercise", lecturer! and it involved a con That's the day-time cur siderable degree of coor riculum, but in the evenings dination. That finished the for two hours the GYT group took a break and I students are meeting to joined them for a chat. study such subjects as American playwrights with A M O N T H OF Peter Mullineaux, puppets WORKSHOPS with Pat Bracken, a drama So what has GYT been workshop with Molly up to since "Goodnight Let Fogarty, and, on top of terfrack" finished its run? everything else, they're Well, the first and most im meeting with Rebecca on portant activity has been a Thursday night to begin month-long series of working out the basis of i workshops, involving a mix- their next major production, ; ture of first year and second that will open, probably, i year students. The presence during Galway Arts of Geri and Rita is a new Festival. "You can see, development, in which the we're all really busy", resources and teaching ex- laughs Patricia. , pertise available to the . students is extended to WORK ! groups in the wider Galway PLACEMENT WITH community who are work THEATRE ing, as these two women COMPANIES are, in similar areas.
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of Maria's work with The Abbey, the GYT students are going up to The Abbey on March 6th to see the play, the first outing the en tire group has had to Ireland's national theatre. Michelle Fennessey spent her three-weeks with Red Kettle in Waterford where she worked backstage in the current production of Dario Fo's "The Pope and the Witch", with a cast that in cludes Frankie McCafferty and Ray McBride. And Jane Nettleingham was with TEAM (Theatre in Educa tion) Theatre Company, the first week watching them rehearse a show, and the se cond week touring with them round Dublin schools where they performed. "It was a marvellous ex perience, and I really learn ed a lot about what theatre in education is all about." Students who have taken part in the work-placement programme have won praise MEMBERS OFG.Y.T. WITH SOME OF THEIR for their dedication and will ARISING FROM THEIR ingness to "jump in at the HANDYWORK deep end". Explains WORKSHOP WITH PAT BRACKEN

which she hopes GYT will be able to take part in this year. Through her involve ment in NAYD Patricia was also recently elected to the National Youth Council of Ireland. In fact, she's the youngest member of the NYCI, and she hopes to give GYT a strong voice on This year Galway Youth the Council. Theatre will be taking part in Cuirt, the Literary Festival organised by The Galway Youth Theatre is Arts Centre. They'll be per providing a solid, fully pro forming a play they're fessional theatrical training devising themselves on the for the forty young people Children's Day and they're who are now members. very excited about this new Through such international opportunity to stretch their contacts as that which talents. brough Philip Sweeney and Judith Higgins to Greece last Patricia Mullins is the year for a congress of young GYT representative on the Europeans involved in youth National Association for drama, and Patricia's own Youth Drama for the second trip to Denmark the year year, which involves before, valuable links are meetings every four weeks. being forged that will bring "The first year I just had a their own benefits in the seat on the executive, but years to come. Galway has this year I've got voting much reason to be proud of rights", she laughs. One of these enthusiastic and very the chief events the NAYD talented young people. organises is the annual Festival of Youth Drama Michelle Fennessey, "I just did as much as 1 possibly could when I was with Red Kettle. It was such a great opportunity I didn't want to miss any chance of learning something that might later help me."

" D O R D A N T O P L A Y F O R N E W S H OTWOSP S " I L L W BISHOP BE Dordan, the Galway group that includes Mary Bergin, REPEATED Dearbhaill Standun and Kathleen Loughnane, will perform
during the investiture of Galway's new Bishop, Mgr. James McLoughlin, at the end of the this month. Prior to that Dordan, who've enjoyed considerable suc cess and acclaim since their foundation only eighteen months ago, will be on tour in the UK, where, between March 14th and 20th, they'll be giving concerts in North Wales, Manchester, Liverpool and London, where they will perform in the prestigious Purcell Room of the South Bank Centre on March 15th. In early April Dordan will perform at the Edinburgh Harp & Folk Festival where they'll also be giving individual workshops on their particular instruments and styles of play ing. Then, on April 22nd, they'll take part in a major con cert being organised by Gael Linn at the National Concert Hall. In May the groupwill undertake an extensive Irish tour organised by the Music Network. Meanwhile, television viewers have a chance to hear Dordan tomorrow night, March 5th, when they appear on The Late Late Show. And on March 26th Cursai will devote an entire programme to the music and playing of Mary Bergin. The organisers of last weekend's very successful Tops of the Parish variety finals in Renmore would like to apologise to all the people who couldn't gain admission to see the shows. The Tops of the Parish ti tle went to Murrough, and the four groups in the final will repeat the shows again in the Jesuit Hall on Satur day, March 27th. See these pages for further details nearer the date.

JOE BURKE IN HIS O W N WORDS
For many years in the world of traditional music, the name Joe Burke has been synonymous with the button accordion at its best. His in fluence on today's musicians cannot be overestimated. Even players of other in struments cite Joe as being an influence. This Sunday on Ita Kel ly's traditional music pro gramme "The Half Door", on Galway Bay FM at 5 p.m., you'll have a chance to meet the man behind the box as Joe tells his own story through recollections, anecdotes and, of course, music.

TICKET COMPETITION FOR "GOODBYE TO THE HILL"
Ireland's longest running and funniest play, "Goodbye to the Hill" is coming to the Corrib Great Southern Hotel for two performances, Fri day, March 19th, and Saturday, March 20th. And, in view of the expected heavy demand for tickets. That's Entertainment is offering six pairs of tickets to the play. To win all you have to do is answer the following question: W h o w r o t e " G o o d b y e to
the H i l l " , p u t y o u r a n s w e r o n a p o s t c a r d , w i t h y o u r n a m e , a d d r e s s a n d , i f y o u ' v e got o n e , telephone n u m b e r . A l l entries s h o u l d be h a n d e d i n b y M a r c h 8th. W e ' l l t h e n p i c k the six w i n n i n g entries a n d n o t i f y the w i n n e r s . G o o d l u c k !

The students have just finished a mask-making and puppeteering workshop with Pat Bracken, whose puppets are well known through his involvement with Trevor O ' Clochartaigh's Irish language productions such as "Sea Mission" last year. Peter Mullineaux from -- Dublin led them in a 1 1 1

Another important area of GYT's training programme is work placement. Three members of the group have just returned from several weeks work with theatre groups around the country. Maria Fleming spent her time at The Abbey where she sat in on rehearsals for Gerry Stembridge's for thcoming production of Shakespeare's "Comedy of Errors". In fact, as a result

Sculptor Poddy Moloney whose exhibition "Nightmares in Bars & Viking Cars"opens at The Geoghegan Gallery on March 8th and continues until April 3rd

SNOWBLIND W A L T Z F O R RAG WEEK
Fans of Galway band Snowblind Waltz will be happy to hear that the band has been added to the line-up for UCG Rag Week. You can catch them tomorrow afternoon in The I.M.I. Building at 3.30 p.m.