Conor McPherson’s ‘Dublin Carol’ comes to Edmonstown House, Ballaghaderreen (at 7.30 pm) from December 8th, 9th, and 10th, with some top talent involved in presenting this production across the three-night run.
Directed by Olivier and Tony award-winner David Grindley, McPherson’s haunting tale of loss and redemption is set on Christmas Eve, when a Dublin undertaker is visited by his estranged daughter, who urges him to confront his past.
Fresh from starring in Martin McDonagh’s ‘Hangmen’ at the Gaiety, Denis Conway will play the lead role of undertaker John Plunkett. Conway’s recent work includes the Netflix series ‘Bodkin’, and starring alongside A-lister Danny DeVito in ‘A Sudden Case of Christmas’. He has previously starred in acclaimed films like ‘Brooklyn’ and ‘Michael Collins’.
Also in the cast is Sligo native Killian Filan, who, in addition to his other credits on screen and stage, is perhaps best known for playing Jack in the immensely popular RTÉ series ‘Normal People’. In this production in Edmonstown House, Filan plays the role of Plunkett’s young apprentice, Mark.
No stranger to stage and screen both in Ireland and the UK is the cast’s third member, Genevieve Hulme-Beaman. Not only does Hulme-Beaman’s career include impressive acting credits, she is also an accomplished playwright, with her debut play ‘Pondling’ winning an Edinburgh Fringe First Award and the Stewart Parker Award. In the upcoming production in Ballaghaderreen, she plays Mary, John’s estranged daughter.
Speaking to the Roscommon People this week, David Ewings of Edmonstown House, who organised the upcoming production, spoke about what prompted him to want to stage the play in the first place: “I’ve always wanted to do a Conor McPherson play”, he said, “I think he’s probably the best contemporary Irish playwright out there”.
He spoke about how all the parts came together and how everyone got involved, emphasising the calibre of the talent behind the upcoming production: “We’ve got a superb cast and director, extremely well regarded, and really it’s amazing to have an event like this happening in Ballaghaderreen”.
The play will take place in the Dining Room in Edmonstown House, which is being set up as an intimate theatre space ahead of the show’s run. The decision to stage the production without creating a big set, predominantly using what’s already in the house and with minimal outside props being brought in, is something director David Grindley described as having an intentionality behind it.
Speaking to the Roscommon People, he said, “What I wanted to do, and what I hope the audience is able to really buy into, is this sense that the story is emerging from the house itself, as if these characters are really people existing in this space… that the story is unfolding and we’re just getting caught up in it”.
His sentiments were shared by lead actor Denis Conway, who told the Roscommon People this week, “I think this (production) is really important because I think theatre needs to find itself again. This is the type of thing people used to do, it goes back to our storytelling days. And that’s what’s special and important about this (production), it’s just the actor and the words”. He described the play itself as “dark, but funny” and “beautifully written”.
There is a limited amount of remaining tickets available, so to book your seat now, visit buytickets.at/edmondstownhouse/1040448.
Dinner will also be available in Edmonstown House across all three days, with the option of dining before or after the production. Tickets cost just €20 per person, with an additional cost of €55 if opting for Dinner.
For more information and to keep up to date with any future events, find Edmonstown House on Instagram and Facebook.
