Ger FitzGibbon: 'Irish theatre is bursting with talent, ambition and creativity'
Emilie and Ger Fitzgibbon. Picture: Dan Linehan
Cork-based playwright Ger FitzGibbon's new play, Ghostlight, written specifically for the Everyman, stars Jack Healy as Baz McAuliffe, a stalwart of theatre who is coming to the end of his career having never hit the big time. A bit drunk when he stumbles into the theatre and finds himself alone on stage, the character is facing not just the darkness of the performance space but also his own darkness. But, as FitzGibbon asks: "Is he really alone?"
The play explores the whole business of theatre as well as the ghosts of McAuliffe and those of the theatre's past, bringing audiences through the highs and lows of the night and the dark. "Baz is going through one of those tragic-comedic crises of 'what am I doing with my life?' It can be a really serious question but can get distracted by something else - like the offer of a bag of chips."
