It’s that time of Year again when its all Christmas, Christmas, Christmas, and the Arts Community starts planning its new season so there’s precious little on! This time of year you can put on a great act and nobody comes because they have a Christmas party that night so the solution at An Grianan is to concentrate on giving the schools, and families, their Christmas show. And this year its a cracker (I’d beg forgiveness for the pun but its so bad I’m just giving you a cheesy grin) Jack & The Beanstalk as written by the legendary Little john Nee and acted by five enthusiastic and talented people. Here’s the blurb... Featuring Jack the daydreaming adventurer and his exasperated Mammy, Rosa the put-upon servant girl, Scam Sharkey the con-artist and last but certainly not least Ogilvy the Giant! Join Jack on his adventures up and down the beanstalk in this gleeful new version of the classic tale. Written by well known Donegal storyteller and playwright Little John Nee, the show features a great cast of five actors. Expect lots of magic, music and mayhem! An Grianán has specially commissioned Little John Nee to write the show and you can expect a local flavour to this classic folktale as we meet ‘Jack of the Bluestacks’! Little John Nee is one of Donegal’s best loved writers and is the author of transatlantic theatre hit The Derry Boat as well as the comedies Rural Electric and Limavady, My Heart’s Delight. Starring David Gilna, Marie Claire Nolan, Rachael Devir, Russell Smith and Declan Birney. Adapted by Little John Nee. Directed by Myles Breen. The public shows are this coming Saturday at 2.30 and 7.00 pm.
Art is not just for Christmas...
What people do like to do at this time of year is have Exhibitions, sure they are great for the Chrissie Presents dont you know? so a quick round up... There’s a group exhibition in Cafe Blend curated (it means put together, its an arty term I curated once you know. Still proud of that.) by Janet Ross. There’s a group exhibition in Designer Liam Grier’s shop in Ramelton, sadly I couldnt make the opening which was apparently a fab night. He makes great clothes too if you really want to impress that special person in your life. But I digress... Artists Josephine Kelly and Samantha Fox (ouch! bet that hurt going through school...) have their work on display in the Ace Of Arts in Letterkenny. Marion Rose McFadden, painter and sculptor, is exhibiting in the Cultivate Gallery Gallery in Temple Bar in Dublin. There’s a lovely exhibition out at Edel McBride’s place in Convoy entitled ‘Midnight Oil’.
Mind if you want a tip from me I’d ring Christy Keeney out in New Mills and pick up one of his fabulous ceramic sculptures, still kicking myself that I didn't when he exhibited in An Grianan Theatre. Or Redmond Herrity’s exhibition starts in An Grianan in early January so you could save your pennies for that....2007 (makinghistory.jpg)
An Grianan’s New Season.. so what do you want to know? Pat Shortt? Brian Friel’s Making History? Jason Byrne? The Letterkenny Music and Drama Group? David Kitt? Cois Ceim Dance Theatre? The Lifford Players? the Panto? Juan Martin? The letterkenny Musical Society? And there’s more ... check it out now on www.angrianan.com or wait a couple of weeks for the brochure. I love the immediacy of new technology don’t you?
You Tube & My Space
While the kids mess around on bebo (dont even bother it will fry your brain it’s like those conversations you overhear a couple of young teenagers having on a bus that is all squeal and very few words) and handily post photos and descriptions of their debauchery for their parents to see the more mature online people are showing off their talents at myspace and flaunting videos of said talents on youtube. Even the theatre now has a myspace page http://www.myspace.com/angrianan. The handy thing about myspace is the ability to find people through others friends listings so through the theatre you will find the frames, colin Murphy, etc. The strange thing about this is that it does appear to be the actual artist themselves who reply to messages, Des Bishop being one of the best to do so. So click on an Grianan's page and then trawl your way through cyberspace... a happy few hours will open up the mysteries of myspace! With Youtube its allowed people to put up videos of anything, including lots of telly music videos etc. It’s as revolutionary as the first time RTE brought us MT USA! go to http://www.youtube.com and start from there...
Extra Revenue Charge on Northern Based Artists, Musicians, and Actors. (muppet.jpg)
Would you have expected Fianna Fail, the Republican Party to decree that people from our bordering counties in Northern Ireland are ‘foreigners’ who need an extra levy placed on their services to deter them from working here in Donegal? Well that’s exactly what they have done- levying an extra 21% VAT on any artists/ performers not resident in the 26 counties. As most Arts Organisations are not VAT registered we have no way of claiming this money back so basically the Arts Council gives with one hand and the Revenue takes back with the other. Joined up government? Don’t think so.... The main effect of this is to discourage us here in Donegal to work with people form the 6 counties, as would be normal for us, as it costs us 21% more to do so. Theatre forum have done great work in bringing this to the national media’s attention but I think it’s time our politicians here in donegal took up this issue as it effects us much more than counties down south.
Contact: this week I’ve been mainly listening to the Housemartins, takes me back! Doesn't the future FatBoySlim look cute!
No comments:
Post a Comment