August 2022 saw two great shows at The New Theatre – “I Could have Been A Dancer” and “Michael and Kitty An Evocation”. Both shows were a huge success and received great praise all around. “I Could Have Been A Dancer” ran for 5 nights with a majority sold out too. “Michael & Kitty – An Evocation” for one night only on the 22nd of August, and to a full house.
I Could Have Been A Dancer – August 16th – 20th
‘I Could Have Been A Dancer’ hurls you into the vortex of tripping balls, talking frogs and fake machoism as Shane battles his isolation, addiction and sweating beer at the deli counter.
Drowning in his everyday grind of work- drink- work, his only lifeline comes in the form of drug-fueled hang outs with long term mate, Ger. We nosedive into Shane’s self destruction, facing the rough truths of being human with an honesty that will melt the ice cream right off your cone.
I Could Have Been A Dancer merges nuanced short stories by Hennessy Literary Award Winner Séan Tanner, with atmospheric music from Kobina to create a whirlwind of craic and emotion.
Adapted for stage by the performer, and writer David Greene. Directed by Michelle Lucy.
CAST AND CREATIVES
Director: Michelle Lucy
Performer: David Greene
Poster Design: Colm Halpin
Lighting Design: Cathy O’Carroll
Music: Sean Kobina
Stage Manager: Al Bellamy
Michael & Kitty – An evocation – August 22nd
Michael & Kitty – An evocation for one night only on the 22nd of August, and to a full house.
The New Theatre wish to celebrate Michael Collins and mark a centenary since he was taken from this earth.
Kitty Kiernan and Michael Collins kept up lengthy letter writing correspondence from 1919 – 1922.
When Collins was in London during the Treaty negotiations, he wrote to Kitty every day.
Kitty’s worst fears were realized when Collins was killed at the age of 31 near Béal na Bláth, County Cork, on 22 August 1922.
22 years ago, some of the 300 letters sent by Kiernan and Collins to each other went on permanent display at the Cork Public Museum. These letters give a great insight into Kitty’s attitude to life and into the political events of this time.
On August 22nd, The New Theatre will perform live carefully selected public available letters.
Selected letters will be performed by Amy O’Dwyer (Kitty Kiernan) and Ethan Dillon (Michael Collins). The actors will be accompanied by cellist Frieda Freytag.
Former Fine Gael minister Peter Barry donated his collection of historic letters to the Lord Mayor of Cork on behalf of the municipal museum. The collection, purchased from the Cronin family in 1995, was conserved at the Delmas bindery at Marsh’s Library in Dublin: the letters were also catalogued and then returned to the Cork Public Museum.
The bulk of the letters between Collins and Kiernan were written between 1919 and 1922, and through their almost daily contact emerges a picture of the dreams and aspirations of the man often called Ireland’s “lost leader” and the woman with whom he wanted to share a “normal” life.
Their correspondence represents a unique and revealing portrait of an ordinary man and an ordinary woman in extraordinary circumstances,
For one night only on August 22nd, 7:30pm, The New Theatre will perform live carefully selected public available letters.
CAST AND CREATIVES
Ethan Dillon – Michael Collins
Amy O’Dwyer – Kitty Kiernan
Frieda Freytag- Cello
Anthony Fox – Director