Youghal Theatre Company
Presents
The Playboy of the Western World
By
J.M. Synge

Venue: Walter Raleigh Hotel, Youghal, Tuesday 2nd to Saturday 6th November 2010. Tickets  – €20  OAP’s & Students – €15. Bookings and information  – 024 92011. Show start 8pm.

The play is set in M.J. Flaherty’s public house in Co. Mayo during the early 1900’s. It tells the story of Christy Mahon, a young man running away from his farm in Munster, claiming and boasting to have killed his father. He wins the hearts of the local women and especially captures the romantic attention of the bar-maid Pegeen Mike, the daughter of Flaherty.  His prowess at the local race/sports meeting confirms him to be a real hero with real expectations of marriage to Pegeen Mike.  When old Mahon appears alive and well, they turn upon their hero despite Christy’s offer to ‘slay his da’ a second time. Escaping from the villager’s clutches, he tames his father, and the two leave the public house disdainful of the gullible Mayo peasants.

Youghal Theatre Company
Presents
The Playboy of the Western World
By
J.M. Synge

Venue: Walter Raleigh Hotel, Youghal, Tuesday 2nd to Saturday 6th November 2010. Tickets  – €20  OAP’s & Students – €15. Bookings and information  – 024 92011

The play is set in M.J. Flaherty’s public house in Co. Mayo during the early 1900’s. It tells the story of Christy Mahon, a young man running away from his farm in Munster, claiming and boasting to have killed his father. He wins the hearts of the local women and especially captures the romantic attention of the bar-maid Pegeen Mike, the daughter of Flaherty.  His prowess at the local race/sports meeting confirms him to be a real hero with real expectations of marriage to Pegeen Mike.  When old Mahon appears alive and well, they turn upon their hero despite Christy’s offer to ‘slay his da’ a second time. Escaping from the villager’s clutches, he tames his father, and the two leave the public house disdainful of the gullible Mayo peasants.

The “Playboy Riots”

The “Playboy Riots”  occurred in January 1907 during and following the opening performance of the play.

The fact that the play was based on a story of apparent patricide also attracted a hostile public reaction.  Egged on by nationalist’s, including Sinn Fein leader Arthur Griffith, who believed that the theatre was not sufficiently political and described the play as “a vile and inhuman story told in the foulest of language we have ever listened to from public platform”, and with the pretext of a perceived slight on the virtue of Irish womanhood in the line “adrift of females standing in their shifts”, a significant portion of the crowd rioted , causing the remainder of the play to be acted out in dumb show. Nevertheless, press opinion soon turned against the rioters and the protests petered out.

Venue

Walter Raleigh Hotel,

Youghal

Tuesday 2nd to Saturday 6th November 2010

Tickets  – €20  OAP’s & Students – €15

Bookings and information  – 024 92011

The Cast

Christy Mahon –  Brian Hogan

Old Mahon –  Will O Brien

Michael James –  Ted O Brien

Pegeen Mike –  Ruth Hayes

Widow Quinn –  Denise O Brien

Shawn Keogh –  Martin Hennessy

Philly Cullen – Donie Fitzgerald

Jimmy Farrell –  Michael Beecher

Sara Tansey –  Fiona Coughlan

Susan Brady –  Niamh Mc Carthy

Honor Blake –  Eimear Coleman

Sean O Neill –  Director

Lora Murphy –  Set Design

Warren Tivy –  Sound

Tony Irwin –  Lighting

Marj Mc Donald –  costumes

Michael Lee –  Stage manager

Jane Crowley –  Harpist

Patrick Mc Carthy  – Piper

Brian Hogan is the son of Noel and Assumpta Hogan, Youghal, and even though he was interested in acting when he finished school, he worked in various jobs and positions until when, in his late 20’s, he played a small part in Youghal in the John B Keane play, Many Young Men of Twenty. And that was that! Report: Denise Fitzgerald. Photo: Michael Hussey (YoughalOnline.com)

He studied various courses with the Gaiety School of Acting and studied film technique which, ultimately, led him to a role in Fair City. Making a career out of acting, Brian has since performed in shows such as Dancing at Lughnasa, The Glass Menagerie and Guys ‘n’ Dolls.

As fate would have it, Brian recently met Sean O’Neill, Playwright and Director, who also has firm roots in Youghal. Sean had written a play entitled The Passion, the World Premier of which is to be performed at the Mall Arts Centre, Youghal, from March 30th through until April 3rd.

Brian told the East Cork Journal that Sean asked him how he would feel about playing seven different characters in ‘The Passion’. “At first I found it exciting and extremely challenging to pull this off and make it work,” Brian said. “As a result of further discussions with Sean I was reassured that, with the correct approach and dedication, this would work.

Sean gave me the script, which I read, and it was then I realized I had a formidable challenge ahead of me. This was the first time I had come across a script that made me question my decision to become an actor. However, having expressed my concerns to Sean he instructed me to allow the characters to naturally evolve and to stop rushing towards the characters and allow the characters to come to me”.

Brian has obviously taken Sean’s good advice to heart and, after weeks of intensive rehearsals, he is very confident that this play will be something never seen before in Youghal. Having such a professional and competent, all-local team involved in the production is a great support and encouragement to Brian, who is now looking forward with great ‘passion’ to performing in his home town again.

Doors open at 7.30pm with complimentary wines, teas and coffees for the opening night. Tickets available at Cree’s Card Shop.

Sean O’Neill is a well known and highly respected Playwright and Director. He lives in Youghal, where he is happy, comfortable, and back in the town he has loved all his life.
By Denise FitzGerald  Photo: Michael Hussey Youghalonline.com email: news@youghalonline.com

Born in Dublin, the son of a Kilkenny man, Sean remembers being told by his father and uncles many times during his lifetime, that he was related to Fr. Peter O’Neill – the Irish Catholic Priest born in Coona, County Cork in 1757, brother of the famous Fenian Michael O’Neill Crowley.  During those troubled times,  Fr. O’Neill was accused of sanctioning the murder of a United Irishman suspected  of being a Government Spy.  Fr. O’Neill refused to give information, was arrested, received 275 lashes without trial, held in prison for two years, and then transported in 1800 to Australia.   He was released on January 15th 1803 and sailed to Ireland where he was reinstated as Parish Priest of Ballymacoda on July 29th, 1803 and where he remained until his death on June 30th, 1846.   All Youghal natives will be familiar with the memorial erected to his memory in Green Park.

Sean O’Neill may, or may not be related to this much revered son of Youghal but his love of the town and surrounding areas is the reason why he has decided that the World Premier of his new One Man Show, entitled ‘The Passion,’ will be staged in the Mall Arts Centre in Youghal with the opening night on Tuesday March 30th, running through to Saturday, April 3rd. Sean said he had options of premiering in theatres in different cities, including Dublin and Cork, but decided to bring his Show first to the town of Youghal.

Despite studying drama in London in his teens, and working in films following this, Sean’s real love is writing and directing.  Some of the diverse shows with which he was involved include Playboy of the Western World (Director), West Side Story (Director) and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, to name but a few.

The title ‘The Passion’ indicates immediately the theme of this One Man Show, but Sean assures that this is a ’Passion’ with a difference.   For several years he tossed the concept around in his mind, and gave great thought to the life of Christ as we have been taught.  This Show, he says, ‘is about an ordinary man doing extraordinary things’.   It tells the story of Christ from the beginning of His ministry at age 30 when he was baptised by John the Baptist.    The story is based on the perspective of humanity, with all the feelings and emotions of man, and the circumstances that moulded the character of Christ.  Why did Christ do what He did?   Why did all of this happen?  What were His thoughts, feelings, ambitions?   How was He to deal with them?

The role of Christ is played by well known Youghal actor, Brian Hogan.   This is a very exciting and challenging role for Brian who, in this Show, will play the diverse parts of not only Christ, but also Peter, Judas, Joseph, and a Centurian.   Sean is delighted with his choice of actor, and says that Brian has all the talents, emotions and, most importantly, he has a ‘presence’ which will captivate any audience.

Sean confirmed that everything to do with this Show is being done on a local level.  All the stage props, carpentry, lighting etc., are in the hands of local Youghal people, and he is delighted to be able to bring employment to the area.

And so, we introduce Sean O’Neill, Playwright and Director, to the people of Youghal where the Fenian, Brian Crowley O’Neill and the Priest, Fr. Peter O’Neill  from Ballymacoda in the 1800s may be his ancestors.  Then again, they may not.

Make a firm date to go along at Easter time, from March 30th to April 3rd to the Mall Arts Centre, and get another perspective on the wonderful theme of Christ, the man, in the World Premier of Sean O‘Neill‘s, ‘The Passion’.

Tune in to Fair City on this Thursday night, September 3rd, to see Youghal’s own Brian Hogan make his debut in what we sincerely hope will be the start of a long and successful T.V. career for him.

Brian Hogan was born and reared in Youghal, the son of Noel and Assumpta Hogan.   He attended school in the local CBS and it was before leaving school that he got interested in acting.   However, he put his interest to one side and went about life in various different jobs and positions.   Then, when he was in his late 20’s he was asked if he would be interested in playing a small part in the John B Keane show, Many Young Men of 20, which was held in the Walter Raleigh, Youghal. Denise FitzGerald Reports  Photo: Michael Hussey www.youghalonline.com

Brian told the East Cork Journal that it was as if a light had come on his life when he played that part, and he knew that his future would have to be as an actor.   So started a range of different courses with the Gaiety School of Acting which took over two years, every day of which Brian enjoyed.   He attended interviews with the Everyman Theatre and in Dublin with the Fair City productions.  This led to film and TV courses, and ultimately an audition in 2008 for a part in Fair City.   Nothing came of this and Brian had almost given up hope when, out of the blue about a month ago, Brian received a phone call offering him a part in a scene of Fair City and telling him that no audition was necessary – he was through!     The excitement was intense and Brian was delighted to travel to Dublin for rehearsals.

Brian accounted his experiences to the East Cork Journal and said that when he walked into rehearsals on Monday last, he was greeted by the Director and Producer with a welcoming ‘hello’.   Sitting there reading through his part, he said he felt as if he knew every one of the actors personally, even though he was thinking of them in terms of their stage name and their character part in Fair City.   The friendship and welcome which they extended to him was amazing, and made him feel part of the show immediately.

Brian confided that his part is that of a character named Vince Matthews who, in Brian’s own words, “is a bit of a con man”.   This Vince guy meets Orla  (Sorcha Furlong) on a blind date in a pub and charms her to bits.   Then, rogue that he is, he deliberately spills wine on her dress and when Orla makes a dash to the Ladies to clean up, he robs her handbag!!   Nice one, Brian.
Tune in to Fair City on this Thursday night, September 3rd, to see Youghal’s own Brian Hogan make his debut in what we sincerely hope will be the start of a long and successful T.V. career for him.
Read more in this weeks edition of The East Cork Journal this wednesday 2nd Sept. 2009