Johnny I Hardly Ye: Jim Nolan Premiere at Garter Lane

Garrett Keogh Michael Hayes  Irish Times photo

It is a feast or a famine and this week, not one but two new professional theatre productions opened in Waterford venues. My review of a Eugene O Neill revival at the Theatre Royal is posted here. At Garter Lane, there was that rarest of theatrical events - a world premiere of a brand new play. Better still, one with a living playwright in the house, a real set, a convincing cast of characters on stage and off  and a plot with plausible contemporary moral dilemmas.

Jim Nolan's new play was eagerly anticipated and the consensus among opening night punters was that it lived up to high expectations. Set in a provincial newspaper office with a raggedy band of hard pressed hacks in the throes of being  taken over by a hard nosed media consortium, it weaves in a reference to WW1 and  a dubious 1916 commemoration thread. The title I understand comes  from a thread where a report on a damaged war veteran is sanitised  to present a  shinier happier version of history. As ever, Nolan's  dialogue is fast paced, witty and rings true- a feature confirmed by several of the local pressmen present from the News &Star and Munster Express.  Many of the other Jim Nolan hallmarks are present; the redemptive power of amateur choral singing, the Sylvie style declamatory monologue towards the end, a cast of recurring offstage characters.

Although serious issues were at the core, there was much humour in the day to day work-room banter and the first night audience laughed heartily throughout. There was a strong performances across the ensemble. Michael Hayes is familiar from the TV adverts for a certain phone company, (yes the one with the Sue the pig in it). His  culchie mammy's boy, Lenny Harris could have been downright corny but it wasn't. Lenny won us over and we laughed with rather than at him. Tall and imposing, Ciaran McMahon was arrogance personified. Jenni Ledwell was a matronly pragmatist and the veteran Abbey actor, Garrett Keogh the flawed hero/ deputy editor making a final principled stand . Ema Lemon made her professional debut in the role of  eager junior reporter, Lisa Reilly.

There was a air of civic pride in the local provenance of the event. Critics from the Irish Times and Independent attended along with  journalists from the local press. Best dressed man was Liam Murphy,  looking dapper in navy blue pin stripe. 'Yes indeed-the occasion of a new Jim Nolan play deserves no less', the arts critic of the Munster Express quipped. Waterford Blackwater No 5 Gin served at the interval was a treat. A standing ovation rolled into a tribute to the late Richard 'Tich' Meagher. After the show , thespians, crew and patrons repaired to recently reopened Tully's Bar (formerly McLoughlins)  across the road to mull over the evening.  It was like old times.




 

Buzzy  for opening of new play in #Waterford -sharply observed news room dialogue with a topical 1916 thread Bravo Jim Nolan

— Fidleir (@fidleir) March 9, 2016

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Jim Nolan : Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye from Culturefox.tv on Vimeo.

Call Mr Robeson at Garter Lane

Two baritones snapped after @CallMrRobeson show #Waterford last night Tayo Aluko & Paul Dillon pic.twitter.com/dCwQfMy5q7
— Fidleir (@fidleir) December 11, 2014

 Tayo Aluko has travelled the world since 2007 telling  the story of Paul Robeson, the black American singer and actor and activist. He arrived at the Garter Lane Arts Centre, Waterford on International Human Rights Day. He was most sympathetically accompanied by Cork based pianist, Michael Young. In addition to relatively straightforward song accompaniment, there was a lot of underscoring of script of an improvisatory nature.  You can read the eminent Guardian theatre critic, Michael Billington's review here . 

At the close of the thought provoking show, Tayo Aluko conducted a Q& A. Had anyone ever heard him live. Yes, one patron volunteered, her parents had seen Robeson in London while on honeymoon. Newly wed and all, her mother  was smitten. On the singer's death, this lady had sent a letter of condolence to Robeson's only son adding her reminiscences of her parents's experience and was very touched when Robeson Jnr  had sent a lovely letter in response to  her, no celebrity, but a lowly typing pool worker in a London firm.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8tZsiLja6jUY2Q2TkpFNjM1TnM/view?usp=sharing . At each venue a programme note with musings and social commentary on recent events highlighted  resonance between the  stage and current Irish events updated at each venue. Kilkenny version in link. This story could be and has been told in the from of a 2D TV documentary. But one man standing in front of you   telling the story with passion and commitment lives  far longer in the memory . Mr Aluko chatted and signed autographs after the shoe. Although he has traveled far  telling the stroy for a long time , he seemed as fresh and enthusiastic greeting Waterford theatre goers as if it was a premiere. He did four shows in Ireland.  It wouldn't surprise me at all to see this show returning for a few more Irish dates. Watch out for it. 

Imagine: The First Day

Day One Roundup

Pop Up Exhib. St Olaf's Hall photo Paul Dower

Art to Art: The arts fest proceedings set off gently with a pop up art exhibition at St Olaf's Hall from a group of lady artists. We like any event that starts with a glass of bubbly and nibbles. The task of quick and easy displaying of work by the seven lady artists was solved by erecting a few temporary railings in the lofty space with a wonderful stained glass window. We liked Lisa Byrne's Collection of Perspectives, a set of portraits of heads reminiscent of Louis le Brocquy.





Later at Greyfriars Gallery, there was a buzz of anticipation in to a packed municipal gallery  for the opening of a Patrick Morrison Retrospective, the headline exhibition of the Visual Art strand of the festival.

Anja Poche Lipfert

Over at City Hall, Camerata Kilkenny presented a smashing evening of baroque music by JS Bach. with guest soprano German soprano Anja Poche Lipfert and flautist Rachel Beckett. You can read the Irish Examiner review here    Great to see a good house in for this concert in the Waterford Music series. And in keeping with the festive spirit, there were canapés at the interval. Next event features the Con Tempo with accordionist Dermot Dunne on 30th October.

We caught the end of the world music double bill at Garter Lane. There was an alpine flavour to
Claudia Schwab's yodeling vocals melded with Eastern drones, quite a head swaying  fusion .  A Muriel Anderson and her surreal looking harp guitar joined Claudia and trio for a final waltz.

The Hard Ground 

All the way from Cork, The Hard Ground a five piece band from Cork provided the edgiest vibe of the day. Pat Carey had an impressive presence as front man and we loved the mellow duets with keyboard player Marlene Enright.  The bijou proportions of the Hall combined with the front row sofas (get in early to nab one)  made this experience pleasantly intense,  like watching late night Jools from the comfort of your living room on a very large screen. Close enough to engage in a little banter with the band if so inclined.  Next gigs at the venue  include Katakana and punk poet, Jinx Lennon. Full details here www.centralarts.ie

The Imagine Arts Festival continues until 26th October . Details here www.imagineartsfestival.com.

Of Ladies Lost & Found: Karen Underwood and John O Brien

‘I want to feel something in the songs whether it be joy or pain’ said Karen Underwood during her show at Garter Lane Arts Centre, Waterford with pianist John O Brien. The Chicago native has built up quite a following with her tribute show to Nina Simone. She is currently on tour with a show titled, Of Ladies  Lost and Found, with a set list associated with singers who left the world stage too early .  There was volumes of  both emotions and a dollop of humour too  in the duo’s rendition of soulful  songs  made famous by the likes of  Judy Garland, Edith Piaf , Dinah Washington and Billie Holliday, to name but a few.
Opening on a devotional note with the spiritual,  Precious Lord   there was throughout  an unflinching and forthright approach  by singer and accompanist in the distinctive reworking of 20 songs. Underwood has a terrific contralto  voice but doesn’t trade on power and beauty of tone alone.  The long sustained notes sometimes have a rough edge , tempos swing freely and always the sense that the lines come straight from the heart.. The mood was darkest with her stark rendition of Strange Fruit. Her favourite song in the set she admitted was the rather more optimistic  Randy Newman song,  I Think it’s Gonna Rain Today
 She was wonderfully well supported by John O Brien on piano, whose sophisticated arrangements imbued familiar repertoire with a freshness making it sound newly minted.  There was an easy rapport between the two who are long time collaborators and  who clearly relish performing  this repertoire together.  O Brien is best known for his innovative work as musical director of Cork Operatic Society. In an era where electric keyboards have become the norm, it is worth noting that a proper grand piano was in place for the show and O Brien fully exploited the dynamic range of an excellent instrument . I warn you, I am going to go too far’, he declared  and indeed he did,  launching into a bravura version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow.  Quite unlike any other version you are likely to hear.  It  was terrific!

Further dates : Dolan’s,   Limerick Weds  17^th , Kilkenny Watergate Theatre 20^th , Cork Everyman  Palace 21^st Sept
                                                                          

Set List 1. Precious Lord 2. What a Difference a Day Makes - Dinah 3. God Bless the Child - Billie 4. I Look to You - Whitney 5. Nature Boy - Sarah 6. I Loves You Porgy - Nina 7. Love is a Losing Game - Amy 8. And I Love Him - Esther 9. The Man That Got Away - Judy 10. If You Love Me - Esther/Edith 11. Je Ne Regrette Rien - Edith -------- 12. Kissing You 13. Mad About the Boy - Dinah 14. Over the Rainbow - Judy 15. Lilac Wine - Nina/Eartha 16. Ne Me Quitte Pas - Dusty/Edith 17. I Think It's Gonna Rain Today - Nina/Dusty/Peggy 18. Strange Fruit - Billie 19. Both Sides Now - Joni 20. Feeling Good - Nina 21. Somebody to Love - Freddie

Chat conversation end

On the Razzle at Garter Lane

"

Garter Lane Arts centre in Waterford city bring On the Razzle to the stage for a fortnight as part of their summer season .  There was much to enjoy in this in house  production of a Tom Stoppard play directed by Jim Nolan and superlatives were flying about the capacity house at opening night as patrons and punters enjoyed the sugar rush of the sweetest  of theatrical confections  after some more sombre fare earlier in the season.
Here are my top ten reasons why I recommend you go.

1 Huge Cast A cast of dozens; which in this minimalist  era of pared down casts and  of one man shows is a cause for celebration if nothing else. Supporting the excellent leads, there are loads of cameo roles. Paul Dillon as the German Man made the most of his one line.

2 The Script Tom Stoppard's witty word play.`I was amazed to discover that this quintessentially British writer was Czech born and English is presumably not his mother tongue. The witticisms, malapropisms puns and double entendres in this screwball farce come so quick and fast that you can't catch all of them. 'I shan't feel married til I've had the consommé'  'He'll alter you before dessert - he'll desert you before the altar, just two that come to mind. Much of the humour is in the main character's attempts to correct his linguistic errors maybe a relic of Stoppards own journey in language aquisition.

3 A real live brass band : A sextet of brass instruments courtesy of Waterford City Brass add a luxury element to the panoply of sound effects a la La Boheme here . My only complaint is having assembled such a resource, they might employed them to play some final bows/ exit music while they were there at all.

4 The Pipes And if cornets and euphoniums weren't enough, to top it all a bagpiper, John Stone appears in the cafe scene for a birthday surprise.

5 The Set design by John O Donoghue makes the Garter Lane stage feel like Covent Garden  with a complex plot evolving on several levels .  With one caveat , Vienna was not quite the gaudy carnival I expected with a distinction between scene one shop set and scene three Vienna street set not clearly marked.

6 Choreography.  Not too much  dancing as such but the choreography  by Libby Seward of the Imperial Cafe waiters scene was beautifully done.

7 The Acting : What a feat of memory the main roles were. Gerry Kane was hilarious as pompous word mangling merchant Zangler. Hugo O'Donovan plays  his chief sales assistant with a manic intensity, that left me a bit frazzled sitting in the front row. Vickie Dunphy as his side kick, Christopher was all wide eyed innocence. Damien McDonnell was terrific as the wily, devil may care servant Melchior . Denise Quinn played  Miss Blumenblatt with a Wildean flourish.
Other notable parts were a randy coachman , Padraig O Griofa, French maid Anita O Keeffe and Nick Bankes as a Belgian Foreigner, Rob Doherty and Ema Lemon as the lovers, Vivienne Coughlan as Madame Knorr and Lorraine Murphy as Frau Fischer, Clare Smith was the put upon maid.

8 The Venue : Garter Lane has very comfortable solid seats, with a steep enough rake to allow a great view from every seat.  the sort that don't creak and move when your neighbour crosses their legs.

9 The costumes : There was no  feeling of scrimping in the gorgeous 19th century, fin the siecle  costumes from NoMac

10 The Horse of Course: How could we not love a production with brass band and a pantomime horse. This one was worthy of Flann O Brien with the horse being part bicycle.

On the Razzle runs at Garter Lane until June 22nd

  

       Photo from Munster Express 14June 

Related reviews 

http://cathydesmond.blogspot.ie/2011/09/trip-to-brighton-for-silver-anniversary.html