Audio 11: Gerard Mannix Flynn, Michael Cabot 25-01-08

In this full show from January 25th Michael Cabot, artistic director, (London Classic Theatre) speaks about the enduring legacy of Mike Leigh's "Abigail's Party" which his company recently brought on tour in Ireland.
We then have an extended interview with artistic director of Far Cry Productions, Gerard Mannix Flynn. Well known as an author, playwright and performer, he has a new project running at the Limerick Printmakers, "Trespass & Forgiveness". In a fascinating interview, he has a lot of very valid points about the roots of a lot of problems in contemporary Ireland. He also focuses on the city of Limerick in which the interview was conducted. To download show, click here (file size 50 mb)

This is the first of the weekly shows to be made available in complete form as a podcast. You can now subscribe to Eagsuil as a podcast and all new audio will be downloaded automatically. To add to itunes, click here. For all other podcast receivers copy the address below into receiver

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Kings

The film club in the Classic Cinema Listowel kicked off on January 10th with the Irish Language film, Kings, based on the Jimmy Murphy play, The Kings of the Kilburn High Road. The film centres around five men from Connemara coming together for the wake of one of their close friends, Jackie, a member of the original gang of six that emigrated to London 30 years previously.
Joe (Colm Meaney) is the most successful of the men, although he nurses a coke habit and has guilt on his conscience over Jackie's death. Jap and Git are down and out alcoholics, while the other two cohorts have done reasonably well, although one is fighting a constant battle with the bottle.
Transferring what is a fairly intense play on to screen isn't the easiest of tasks, although Tom Collins does quite well, particularly in the first half of the film, combining the sweeping streetscape of London, its dingy pubs, and a particular focus on the withered faces of the protagonists (Jackie's father, who didn't feature in the play, is a fantastic example of this).
The film falls slightly during the wake scene in the pub. I remember seeing the play in the Glórach back in '06, and there was an almost claustrophobic tension around the stage as Joe and Jap confronted each other bitterly, and the true cause of Jackie's death in the tube station was revealed by Git. Hard to convey on screen, and while Collins uses flashbacks of Jackie effectively throughout this scene and the film as a whole, it is an ultimately depressing scene, robbed of some of the humour the play had, as the men drink a gargantuan amount of liquour, including home brewed poitín from 'back home'.
Nevertheless, an important film, and an important reminder to us all not to forget the Irish immigrants who left for England in the 1950s, 60s and beyond, and literally built two countries. The film is a microcosm of that group; some who were very successful, others who fell in the middle, and those who fell into destitution.
Great crowd at the film, the majority of an older generation if I can use that term. It would have been nice to see some more of the Celtic Tiger era kids in the audience, no harm to have a healthy dose of reality now and again and witness the sacrifice that previous generations made for the nation they live in today.

Audio 10: James Kennedy -Avatar Tralee Dub Reggae Group

This interview is with Tralee bassist, James Kennedy who has already released one well received album in the dub reggae style under the Avatar moniker. James is one of the few musicians who are recording reggae in Ireland. Currently recording a second album, he talks here about jazz scene in Ireland, growing up listening to blues in Ireland, first experiences of reggae and the difficulty getting a full 9 piece band together.
Hear the full interview here. (file size 8mb, around ten minutes in length).
You can now subscribe to Eagsuil as a podcast and all new audio will be downloaded automatically. To add to itunes, click here. For all other podcast receivers copy the address below into receiver

http://feeds.feedburner.com/agsil-ArtsShowOnWestLimerick102

Audio 9: Baba Salah in Listowel

Audio from Baba Salah recent gig in St Johns Listowel. Includes post show feedback, interview with Baba Salah and music from the gig.
Over a quarter of an hour long and the file is 13 mb. Download here. Remember you can listen to other audio be clicking on the audio tab on left hand side

Baba Salah in Listowel

No better way to chase away the Autumnal blues than letting great music into your soul, and that's what a large crowd at St. Johns, Listowel decided to do on the evening of Wednesday October 10th. Advertised as the Jimi Hendrix of West Africa, Baba was much more than that, infusing virtuouso guitar playing with superb rhythms (kudos to the drummer, one of the most amazing performances I ever witnessed), and singing about issues ranging from the poverty in Mali, the status of women in that country, and European immigration policies.
Baba, assisted by his translator Elizabeth Healy(who was instrumental in bringing Baba to Ireland), gently addressed the crowd in French before most of the pieces, but it was really a night for the music to speak, and a taster of the possibilities of music from Mali (his full band couldn't travel due to the cost involved).
A share of the crowd got up to dance, and the only disappointment at the end of the night was that all the CDs of the group had been sold out at the last gig in Galway. Nevertheless, the memory of a fantastic night was embedded in everyones mind, and the hope lingered for a return gig at some stage in the future.
So off to Christies in the square for a pint after the gig. A group at the bar were extolling the virtues of Joe 'the Vicar' Murphy (who runs St. Johns). The sentiment couldn't have been more appropriate, and kept up the positive vibe in spite of the dodgy Mel Gibson film on the TV.

Some Highlights of 2007 so far

Some of the features that have particularly stood out in the show this year

Gráinne Mhaol production in Abbeyfeale; A fantastic production by the transition year students of St. Josephs secondary school in Abbeyfeale, under the guidance of Niamh Bowen and Darren Maher. Really brought the story of the Pirate Queen to life, using the convent hall in a very imaginative way, and garnering considerably more favourable reviews than the big bucks production that hit Broadway.

Interview with Liam Lynch; Author of the book A Stranger to Darkness, this interview took place back in April when Liam was promoting his book in Riordans Bar Abbeyfeale. The book, which chronicled Liams descent into blindness and ultimately dealt with it in a very positive manner, is a great read, also offering vivid portraits of growing up in Ireland in the 1940s and 50s in an unsentimental way, and the farming practices that were common back then. A tremendous man, and a person who ultimately leaves one feeling more positive about life, the interview drew positive comments from as far away as the USA

Jamalski; Legendary MC, whose freestyling performance on live radio ranked as one of the most enjoyable I did on radio, and had our sound technician rushing to try hold him on the line to do some advertisments! That didn't transpire, but what did was a memorable gig at the Underground in Limerick the following Saturday night back in April

Coverage of Festivals; Main highlight included the Kilmallock medieval festival and the Askeaton Contemporary Arts Festival, both in August. The Writers Week in Listowel yielded interviews with Colm Tóibín and the darkly humorous Patrick McCabe

Allunde; Womens singing group, based in Foynes, the group were recorded for the show back in March at Newcastlewest Library

Just a taster of some of the items that were on, some good stuff happening in the general area over the next few weeks, if you're around make sure you catch...

Dracula; Teaspach Theatre groups' production at the Belltable, running from October 30th-November4th
Kerry Film Festival, running from Oct 27th-Nov3rd