Cork Examiner, Monday, November 26, 1990
earn s
eaney~s
THE element of the unknown concerned major poet
eamus Heaney in his approach to his first play, The
Cure at Troy, which opens at the Everyman Palace
tomorrow night.
"I was grateful to have Bob Crowley and Stephen
Rea as directors and I have learned a lot."
eamus considers that his "experiment" was
made easier because the original work was already a
masterpiece by Sophocles, with its shape and plot
already fixed ; the pitch marked out as it were. Also,
it was in verse form , but still, there was the
~
"unknowability" factor in the adpatation, and also,
' theatre was a much more public medium than poetry.
Seamus believes that audiences have no difficulty with the play because there are no barriers to its
enJoyment, being an open, clear and accessible wo.rk.
He sees its dramatic merit coming from the tensiOn
between the breaking of traditonal moulds, tribal
solidarity against the demands of individual conscience.
e
Certainly, the visit of Field Day to the Palace, is a
real theatrical treat and there is a bonus element for
Cork audiences. Bob Crowley is a native son who h~s
gone to the very top of the world as a desig~er. H is
Cure at Troy set has been earning rave reviews on
tour.
This is the start of a quite remarkable
homecoming for the former Cork School. of Art
r student from the Douglas Road area.' _as his <?ther
P current work Richard III for the British National
0
Theatre, will be seen at the Cork Opera House nex t
0
week.
Page S
first play for the Everyman Palace
Tale of Two Citi es and they are the masters ot tun, so
In Th e Cure at Troy, Des McAleer is Pbiloctetes,
abandoned by h is own on an uninhabited island, but
now being ent r eated to come to the rescue of the
Greeks in t he Trojan war. The cast also includes:
Veronica Duffy, Siobhan Miley, Seamus Moran, Sean
Rocks and Zara Turner.
... The Cure at Troy has been described as a warm,
human story and a dramatic thriller in a classical
setting with contemporary implications. It's at the
Palace from just Tuesday to Saturday.
So, don't miss a play by a man who is considered
by many to be the best poet writing in the English
language, set by a top designer, and, from a company
whose reputation for excellence has been well
earned.
Seamus Heaney will be at Boole 3 UCC on
Thursday at 8.00 p.m., admission is free and all are
welcome.
*****
IT'S just one week away from the arrival in Cork of
the National Theatre with its major world tour
productions Richard III and King Lear.
They have been a sensation wherever they have
performed, and that has _b~en, lit.erally, ~he theatre
capitals of the world. NT IS m Pans all this week and
then it's Cork's turn, which is being talked about as
the biggest theatrical coup in years. Never before,
and, possibly, not for a long tim~ again, will southe~n
theatregoers have the opportumty to see on stage, m
the one week, such major stars as Ian McKellen and
it should lift the spirits.
*****
FROM tomorrow night at the CAT Club, Rex Archer
presents his one-man show, For All Time, which
should give some interesting insights into the life
and work of Shakespeare.
*****
I
CONTINUIN<? at the Granary, all this week, is the
Steven Gale directed The Duchess of Malfi which is a
presentation of the European drama study groun ::a t
vee.
,
• The Cure at Troy team: Bob Crowley,
Seamus Heaney, Rory Dempster (lighting
design) and Stephen Rea.
Brian Cox and those brilliant casts for the two plays,
which will alternate through the week, opening with
Richard on the Tuesday week next.
*****
ONE of the most popular touring comedy companies
is back at the Opera House from tonight. The New
Vic, Micky O'Donoghue, Chris Barnes et al, p~~ent A
*****
SOME venue reminders are: Cork School of M~sic
tomorrow night has a recital of the StJohn Pas~10n
from Waterford Regional College Choir and soloists;
at Triskel, tomorrow night, Micheal 0 Siadhail reads
The Chosen Garden and does so also at Bellt~ble,
Limerick, on Wednesday night. At Belltable Fnd~y
and Saturday, Dry Bread present The H~art L~Jd
Bare. Down Waterford way, Red Kettle contmue With
The Constant Couple at Garter Lane.
That is great news about the Lord Mayor's Gala
Concert at the City Hall on Saturday December 8.
Promoter is Oliver Barry and charities to benefit are
Cork Simon Community, St Vincent de Paul, Lota
and Sick Poor Socities. Compere will be Gay Byrne
and headline acts will include Niall Toibin, Gina Dale
Haze and The Champions, Cara O'Sullivan and
Finnegan's Wake.
Enjoy your theatregoing.