Dancing at Lughnasa

## Creatives

Director: Hans Jansen

Production Designer: Christina Drees, Cornelis Krottje

## Synopsis

Like so many of Friel's plays, *Dancing at Lughnasa* is a memory play. It presents the audience with a view of the past, imaginary or eal, remembered or idealised. It is Brian Friel's tender tribute to the Irish people in the nineteen-thirties and to his five spinster aunts in particular. Against the backdrop of Ireland's recent independence from the United Kingdom, the play shows the five Mundy sisters and their struggle for survival in an oppressive Catholic climate, where the women are barely able to express their emotions and sexuality. The play is narrated by Michael, Christina Mundy's illegitimate child. The shame this 'love child' brought on the family is compensated by Father Jack, the Mundy brother, who worked in Africa as a leper priest. Lughnasa is the August Harvest festival, which may bring some joy to the house, particularly as Gerry Evans, Michael's father, returns for a visit. But looming unemployment and Father Jack's curious ideas of religion cast a shadow over the house. Religion and superstition, Christianity and pagan rites are painfully confronted, and the similarities turn out to be bigger than the differences. In this play, Friel offers a mirror to the audience, to invite and enable us to regard and examine our own beliefs and actions.

## Cast

Youri Dechesne: Gerry Evans

Christina Drees: Christina Mundy

Debbie Kamphuis: Rose Mundy

Cornelis Krottje: Jack Mundy

Janene van Loon: Maggie Mundy

Noel McCullagh: Michael Evans

Marlous Peterse: Kate Mundy

Henriëtte Poelman: Agnes Mundy

## Crew

Christina Drees (PR (sponsors))

Annelies de Jong (Costumes, PR (sponsors))

Saskia Jonker (Set, Props)

Mariken Schippers (Set, Props)

Cornelis Krottje (PR, Music)

Folkert Kusters (Costumes, Props)

Noel McCullagh (Set, Speech Co-consultant)

Catherine McFadden (Speech consultant, PR (publicity))

Henriëtte Poelman (PR (publicity))

Mark de Vries (Set Director, Property Master)

## Performances

April 26th 2001: Universiteitstheater

April 27th 2001: Universiteitstheater

April 28th 2001: Universiteitstheater

May 31st 2001: Universiteitstheater

June 1st 2001: Universiteitstheater

## Sponsors

Apotheek De Jong Veendam

Athena's Boekhandel Groningen

Café Klapper Groningen

Café Paard van Troje Groningen

Café Seizoen Groningen

Bakker Meubelen Veendam

O'Ceallaigh Irish Pub Groningen

Sally O'Brien's Irish Pub Groningen

## Special Thanks

Dirk Berghuis (photography)

Paul Hulsman (dancing instructor)

Mr & Mrs Kelly (for the garden bench)

Christian Korbeld (dancing instructor)

Ineke (additional directing advice)

## Trivia

* The actual "Dancing at Lughnasa"-Irish music was performed by the group Mitrick, who also performed during the break at the first three performances in April. The set used was *Cooley's Reel* (trad.) / *Maid Behind The Bar* (trad.). The rest of the music used were actual 1930s' recordings.
* *Dancing at Lughnasa* was the first play to use program booklets which audience members could read before the play started.
* Much publicity was made for the play, some of which even being in Dutch. In return, the play got a review afterwards from once of the advertising media.

## Photos

http://home.deds.nl/~gutsarch/20002001/20002001.html