Famous playwrights pen theatre festival shorts

Four of Ireland’s renowned playwrights have joined forces with four celebrated actors for the Dublin Theatre Festival, it emerged today.

A series of 90-second dramas have been penned by Hugh Leonard, Patrick McCabe, Frank McGuinness and Tom Murphy to mark its 50th anniversary.

The vibrant, pithy scripts – written in celebration of theatre – have been shot on location in Dublin’s Gaiety and Gate theatres and will be screened on RTÉ television.

Leonard evokes the last moments in the theatre of an ageing playwright, played by David Kelly, while Niall Toibin returns in his acclaimed portrayal of Brendan Behan, imagined by McCabe as living into old age.

As McGuinness’s theatre cleaner, Bronagh Gallagher, takes a jaundiced view of theatre as seen the morning after a performance, in the cool light of day.

And finally Murphy plays on the thin line between the serious and the farcical, as Eileen Walsh’s young actor performs in comedy while she rehearses for tragedy.

Starting on September 27, the first of these four 90-second dramas will be aired on RTÉ One after the 9pm news.

Loughlin Deegan, artistic director of the festival, said having writers of such stature on board – who have in the past premiered their works at the festival - gives the 50th celebrations a real boost.

“One of our ambitions for this anniversary was to broaden the appeal of the festival and we have been doing that in many ways,” he said.

“We have expanded the programme, taken productions from theatres on to the streets, and now we will also be having a presence on television.

“It’s wonderful that we have a real significant prominence in RTÉ’s schedule during the festival.

“It’s wonderful that many of Ireland’s leading actors have agreed to feature in the pieces.

“I think viewers will have a real interest in seeing them endorsing the festival itself.”

The Ulster Bank Dublin Theatre Festival, which runs from September 27 to October 14, is boasting record ticket sales.

Some 65,000 fans are expected to flock to the city to catch some of the 221 performances to be staged at various venues across the capital by drama companies from 13 countries.

The festival prides itself on being the oldest English-speaking specialist theatre festival in the world and is now in its 50th year.

Highlights include outdoor aerial acrobatics, Roddy Doyle’s take on the Playboy of the Western World, and an ageing cast of pensioners singing pop songs.

Burlesque shows, late night productions, free events and the London National Theatre’s production of Alan Bennett’s The History Boys – an award-winning and heart-warming tale of a group of high achieving schoolboys – will also be crowd pullers.

RTÉ television and radio will also mark the anniversary with a range of broadcasts covering an array of productions.

The full schedule is available on www.dublintheatrefestival.com