Passion for drama ensures that young theatre companies stay centre stage

Ever since Druid made history by becoming Ireland’s first successful professional theatre company to be based outside Dublin, there has been no shortage of groups in Galway trying to find the elusive recipe for success.

Between now and the end of March, there’s a host of young – mostly Galway – companies staging work in the city’s Town Hall 55-seater studio theatre. Late last year, some of these same groups took part in the second Galway Theatre Festival which was organised by Galway Arts Centre.

There’s no lack of enthusiasm among these companies, but the reality is that it’s tough to survive in a world where there’s precious little money and very little opportunity. Yet the companies keep on coming and some do survive, waiting for the day when they will get national recognition and reach broader audiences.

One of the recent arrivals is a group simply known as The Company, Productions which is staging Playing at Plays in the Town Hall Studio from January 18-23. This group came about over a year ago when its founders, Jack Kavanagh, Jack Kirwan and Pádraic Harley met at NUIG.

Before that Jack Kavanagh had worked with various theatre groups in Sligo, most notably Blue Raincoat, while Jack Kirwan was head of the writers’ society in college. Pádraic is currently societies’ chairperson at NUIG.

“We all love what we are doing and decided to try and make some money out of it,” explains playwright Jack Kirwan about the decision to invest their energy and money in this group. They have put on several one-act plays and Jack recently decided to write a drama based on their experiences.

Playing at Plays is directed by the other Jack and features a larger cast than would be normal for The Company.

“It’s a funny piece about the madness that happens when you put on a play, says the author, adding that it goes behind the scenes to include the writer, director, set designers and builders as well as actors. That’s why a large cast is required.

The Company isn’t about making money for its members – at least in the short term. “We put on a couple of shows and put the profits into the next show, making sure we have paid all our bills and that we never spend more than we have,” says Jack Kirwan.

The three of them work on other projects outside of The Company Productions – in film, TV and general production – and this extra-curricular work helps them to survive. They are currently setting up a limited company and they intend to be around for a long time yet.

MephistoMephisto Theatre Company which was established in 2006, with its first production being Glengarry Glen Ross in Spring 2007, is showing that it is possible to build a reputation slowly and steadily.Again, the members met in NUIG. Some were studying the Masters in Theatre programme and others were students in the MA in Writing degree.

All work elsewhere, with some of them teaching drama, or taking other acting roles, explains Emma O’Grady who is taking part in Mephisto’s forthcoming production, The World’s Wife, by British poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy. That’s being staged from February 22-27 in the Town Hall Studio and has a cast of three – Emma, Zita Monaghan and Caroline Lynch.

“When we get funding, we pay ourselves,” says Emma, but adds that the priority is to pay those people who work with them and who aren’t company members. Last year Mephisto received €2,400 from the City Council for a new work, Wrecked (staged at Galway Theatre Festival) and got a small amount from the Arts Council for Tom Murphy’s The Morning After Optimism, staged in August.

Nonetheless, being part of a company like this is a hand-to-mouth existence.

“It is difficult starting off and it takes a while to get established,” says Emma. “Nobody gets paid during rehearsals and the hope is that once a production goes on stage, it makes money.”

But the company has a strategy and with productions such as The World’s Wife and Wrecked, is trying to establish relationships with venues countrywide, and to earn a reputation outside Galway.

The World’s Wife is based on Carol Annd Duffy’s book, which tells of historic events from women’s perspectives. So Queen Kong tells her story and instead of the Kray twins, it’s the Kray sisters, explains Emma.

“We have done it in a strong ensemble way, with no director and that [approach] worked very well, with the three of us directing each other as actors.”

They performed it last year at Cúirt when Carol Ann Duffy was over for the festival and toured it to venues around the country, including to the new theatre in Temple Bar, where Metro awarded them a five-star review, and to the Electric Picnic. They will bring the show to the UK in May for the Brighton Fringe Festival.

“It’s a steady process getting recognition from the City Council and the Arts Council and now we are getting known in Dublin,” says Emma who feels that their approach is paying off.

However, there are a lot of young companies in Galway and it’s difficult to see how they can all survive.

“It’ll be the survival of the people who don’t give up, I suppose,” feels Emma. “There are other companies who are brilliant and doing great work and it’d be great to see them thrive, but I don’t know if that’s possible in a small place like Galway.”Mephisto members co-operate with other com

panies and groups don’t tend to compete with each other when staging shows.

Enthusiasm doesn’t flag because “the work is good and we all have loads of ideas about what we want to do next. We are an ensemble but are also individuals and we have gazillions of ideas about what we want to do”.

Ultimately, Emma is pragmatic. “If it all falls apart, we’ll deal with that then.”

For more, read page 27 of this week's Connacht Tribune.