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Wild Sky Play - is a Meath County Council Arts Office commission in commemoration of 1916
Date Released: 09 February 2016
WILD SKY
Written by Deirdre Kinahan
Directed by Jo Mangan
Lighting Design by Kevin Smith
Costume and Set Design by Niamh Lunny
Performed by Caitriona Ennis and Ian Toner
Music by Susan McKeown performed live by Mary Murray
Wild Sky is a Meath County Council Arts Office commission in commemoration of 1916
Kinahan’s script charts the radicalisation of a generation through the small cultural, national and sporting movements that flourished in Ireland at the turn of the twentieth century, skillfully recounting the events leading up to and including the capture and siege of the GPO using the voices of two rural youth who are drawn into the momentous events of their age. While clearly historical in its telling the play with its themes youth, war and political idealism also resonates in the contemporary world.
WILD SKY takes the form of a blighted love story between two young friends from Slane, County Meath, Tom Farrell and Josie Dunne. Tom has loved Josie since he was six years old but Josie loves his best friend Mike Lowrey. The three grow up together and become caught up in a maelstrom of influences that bubble beneath the surface of an apparently settled, loyal and conservative county on the boarder of Dublin.
Mike, a committed Redmondite joins up with the British Army believing that Irish Independence will be won in that war whilst Josie gets involved with Inghinidhe na h’Eireann and the Irish Women’s Suffrage League.
Tom the least political of the three joins the rebels in Dublin at Easter 1916. The play's poetic form relates Tom’s retreat from the GPO and the swim of his thoughts on his long walk home, his Reverie intertwined with Josie’s memories of their radicalisation through social events.
The play is intertwined and underscored by a suite of original songs by Grammy Award Winning singer Susan McKeown including her settings of poems from that time and songs by Irish composers of 1916-1917 and performed live by Mary Murray. WILD SKY is directed by celebrated theatre director Jo Mangan and features Irish Times Award Winning actress Caitriona Ennis and Ian Toner
WILD SKY: TOUR DATES & TICKET INFO
World Premiere: Feb 19th & 20th - Rossnaree House, Slane, Co. Meath - www.solsticeartscentre.ie or 046 9092300
Feb 22nd to March Sat 19th – Bewleys Theatre, Dublin - Bookings: www.bewleyscafetheatre.com or (0)86 8784001
Feb 27th – Solstice Arts Centre, Navan, Co Meath – Bookings www.solsticeartscentre.ie or 046 9092300
Mar 3rd – Donal McCann Theatre, Terenure, 8pm, €15, bookings @ 01 4904621
Mar 11th & 12th – Headfort House, Kells, County Meath. www.solsticeartscentre.ie or 046 9092300
Mar 21st-23rd – Pearse Museum, St Enda’s Park, Rathfarnham www.wildskytheplay.com
Mar 24th- Gala performance @ Pearse Museum, St Enda’s Park, Rathfarnham www.wildskytheplay.com
Mar 28th to Apr 2nd – Irish Arts Center, New York
