Translations by Brian Friel

Rathfarnham Theatre Group

Presents

Mill Theatre Mill Theatre

DundrumDundrum 23rd to 27th November 23rd to 27th November

Directed byDirected by

Carmel CullenCarmel Cullen

(By kind permission of Samuel French Ltd.) (By kind permission of Samuel French Ltd.)

.

Programme €2

THE YELLOW HOUSE

Lounge, Bars and Function Room

Presents Morrilles Bistro

Simple Classical Elegant Dining

Wilbrook Road, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14. Tel: 01- 4932994/01- 4942441

Fax: 01- 4942554

Lounge Carvery Lunch 12:30 - 2:30

Bar food menu served 2:30 - 9:00 (Monday to Thursday including Sunday)

Friday & Saturday till 8:00

Restaurant Open from 5:30 Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday,

Friday & Saturday also. On Sundays we serve lunch and a La Carte

From 12:30 to 9:00

Wishing everyone involved with the production a great success

A Message from the Chairman

Welcome to Rathfarnham Theatre group’s production of

Translations by Brian Friel.

Brian Friel is one of Ireland’s prominent playwrights and has

received many awards for his work.

Translations is considered Friel’s masterpiece, it is dense,

lyrical and infused with Gaelic culture.

Friel wrote Translations at the height of the troubles in

Northern Ireland and his own despair and anger can be felt in every fibre of the

piece.

This is our 8th show in the Mill Theatre and we are delighted to be back again.

R.T.G. was founded in 1991, since then we have staged over 40 full length

productions and numerous workshops. We have received a number of awards

throughout the years.

Our aim is to provide good quality theatre and we are always looking for new talent..

We have regular workshops in St. Mary’s Boys’ National School, Rathfarnham.

I know the amount of work that has been put into this production and I would like to

take this opportunity to thank everyone who has made this show possible. I would

like to thank the staff at the Mill Theatre and Mr. Tom Mullins, St.Mary’s BNS for

their support.

Finally, I would like to thank our patrons and you our audience.

I know you will enjoy a wonderful show.

Maria Burke King

Chairman

Patrons Rathfarnham Theatre Group is very thankful to our patrons:

Campbell Packaging Ltd, Ciaran and Fiona Clancy, Kevin Kelly & Eva O’Carroll,

Paul A McMullan, Dermot & Renee O’Dwyer, Colm Jenkinson, Maureen Taylor,

Joan Connolly, Helen Leahy, Joe Clancy, Peggy Sheehan, Frank Gaynor, Betty &

Peter Carroll, Domhnall McCullough, Norma and Eugene Hiney, Richard & Marie

Hickey, Patrick Dwyer, Sinead Tynan, Sean O’Byrne & Jill Davis.

Honorary Patrons: George King, Jim Molloy and Dr Anne Mc Gough.

If you would like to become a patron for Rathfarnham Theatre Group please contact

our patron secretary Anne O’Connell: anneoc56@eircom.net.

Rathfarnham Theatre Group Website: www.rathfarnhamtheatre.com

E-mail: pathanratty@gmail.com

Address: Rathfarnham Theatre Group

℅ St. Mary’s BNS, Rathfarnham. Dublin 14

The Play Translations was premiered in 1980 at the Guildhall, Derry by the Field Day

Theatre Company with Stephen Rea, Liam Neeson and Ray Mac Anally. Set in

1833, it is a play about language, the meeting of British and Irish cultures, the

looming potato famine, the coming of a free national school system that will

eliminate the traditional hedge schools, the English expedition to convert all Irish

place names into English and the crossed love between an Irish woman who speaks

no English and an English soldier who speaks no Irish. Yet it was an instant success

because of the play’s deft ability to reference the Troubles and English-Irish

relations without condemning or idealising any side. The innovative conceit of the

play is to stage two language communities ( Gaelic and the English ) which have

few and very limited ways to speak to each other, for the English know no Irish,

while only a few of the Irish know English. Translations has gone on to be one of

the most translated and staged of all post World War II plays.

Manus Eugene Duffy

Sarah Maria Rath

Jimmy Jack Darach Connolly

Maire Emma Coogan

Doalty Gerry McMahon

Bridget Laura Pomphrett

Hugh Eamonn Cullen

Owen Alan Mc Mahon

Captain Lancey Noel Young

Lieutenant Yolland Arthur Williams

The Cast

The action takes place in a hedge-school in the townland of Baile Beag/Ballybeg, an

Irish-speaking community in County Donegal.

ACT ONE An afternoon in late August 1833

ACT TWO A few days later

ACT THREE The evening of the following day

Interval – between the two scenes in Act Two

The Crew

Director Carmel Cullen

Producer Phil Fitzpatrick

Co-producer Columb Casey

Stage Director Sheila O’Kelly

Assistant Stage Director Audrey McLoughlin

Assistant Stage Managers Anne O’Connell and Lauren Dwyer

Set Design Carmel Cullen

Set Construction Bobby White

Lighting Barry Donaldson

Sound Brian O’Connor and Nollaigh de Siuin

Costume Design and Wardrobe Rachel Murray

Props RTG team

PR Maria King

Programme Maria Burke King and Noel Young

Best Wishes to

Rathfarnham Theatre Group

on their production of

Translations

Director’s Note Friel's innovative genius almost distracts us from being aware of another

unacknowledged "Translation". Apart from occasional eruptions in Greek and Latin

most of the characters in Ballybeg know and speak only in Irish; we, however,

watching and listening hear them only in our "humble" English.

I have thoroughly enjoyed directing this fine company of actors who have worked

hard over the last few months. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all

who have helped and contributed to this production and all our friends in the Mill

Theatre.

Now sit back and enjoy our production of Brian Friel's masterpiece, "Translations".

Carmel Cullen

Eugene Duffy - Manus Eugene started with Moore and Clonfad Drama Society as Liam Scuab in

Sive. He also played John Joe Moran in A Crucial week in the life of a

grocer’s assistant with the Toronto Irish Players. This will be his third

outing with RTG which included playing Ned in Philadelphia, here I come

Maria Rath - Sarah Maria first became involved in drama while in secondary school where she

attended the Gaiety School of Acting for 5 yrs, was a member of Trinity

Players while at University and went on to do an acting course in Central

School of Drama in London after graduating. Joined RTG last year, and

partook in Winter workshop playing Salome in excerpt from Oscar Wilde's

Salome. Maria played Rose in this year’s production of Dancing at

Lughnasa in the Mill Theatre.

Darach Connolly - Jimmy Jack Darach has been a member of RTG since it began in 1991. He has been

active both on and off stage (mostly on) for more than sixty years. He has

acted in nine of our major productions and has directed six of the others. He

describes his involvement in theatre as a disease for which there is no

antidote.

Emma Coogan - Maire This is Emma's sixth appearance at The Mill Theatre with Rathfarnham

Theatre Group. Previous roles include Christina in Dancing at Lughnasa,

Helen in Living Quarters, Elvira in Blithe Spirit, Miss Forsythe in Death of

a Salesman and Pegeen Mike in The Playboy of the Western World. Emma

runs a speech and drama school for children, young people and adults

Gerry McMahon - Doalty Gerry is a new member of the R.T.G. As a member of the Taney Group he

played Mr. Ingram in 'The Loves of Cass Maguire', the Irregular Mobiliser

in 'Juno and the Paycock' and Desmondo in 'Desmondo's Speakeasy'. Prior

to this, with the Walkinstown Group, he played Gunther in 'Canaries' and

Detective Porterhouse in 'Run For Your Wife'. Gerry's first venture into the

drama world was playing Christy Mahon in the Playboy of the Western

World. By day, Gerry works as a lecturer\consultant in H.R.M. at the D.I.T.

Carmel Cullen - Director Carmel's theatre work with RTG includes title roles in: Big Maggie; Juno

and the Paycock; The Loves of Cass Maguire and The Gingerbread Lady.

Carmel has also appeared in: The Odd Couple; The Plough and the Stars;

Drama at Inish; Chapter Two; The House of Barnarda Alba; The Plough

and the Stars; Sieve; Dancing at Lughnasa; The Beauty Queen of Leenane;

All my Sons; Ghost Writer; Death of a Salesman; Blith Spirit; Philadelphia

Here I Come and The Way you Look Tonight in which she recieved an

award for Best Actress in the All Ireland Drama Festival. Her directorial

work includes: Ill Met by Moonlight; The Field; Playboy of the Western

World and Living Quarters.

Laura Pomphrett - Bridget Laura has been doing drama and plays from a young age. In her teens

Laura was a member of Anne Kavanagh's Young People's Theatre

where she played principle roles in 'A Pocket Full of Broadway', 'The

Boyfriend', and 'Fiddler on the Roof'. As an adult Laura was a member

of the IT Tallaght Drama Society where she directed 'Suckin Dublin'

by Enda Walsh and she also played the lead role of Little Lamb in the

play. 'Suckin Dublin' played for three nights in the Civic Theatre in

Tallaght in February 2005. Her role as Bridget in 'Translations' is

Laura's first production with The Rathfarnham Theatre Group and she

hopes to be part of many more.

Eamonn Cullen - Hugh Eamonn has been with RTG for more than a decade and has appeared

in many of their productions including : Philadelphia Here I Come;

Sive; The Importance of being Earnest; Dancing at Lughnasa; The

Plough and the Stars; The Beauty Queen of Leenane; The Playboy of

the Western World; The Field; Ghost Writer; Someone Who'll Watch

Over Me; Death of a Salesman; Blithe Spirit; Living Quarters and The

Way You Look Tonight in which he received " best actor" award at

The All Ireland Drama Festival.

Alan Mc Mahon - Owen Alan trained as an actor in Ann Kavanagh’s Young Peoples Theatre

for the last eight years. This is his first time performing with

Rathfarnham Theatre Group. His previous experience on stage

includes Séamus Heaney’s translation of the Greek tragedy Burial at

Thebes in the Abbey Theatre and an amateur production of Calamity

Jane. He played Jason Dempsey in Dermot Boyd’s film The Return

and Rob in the short film 3 bags full. His radio work includes two RTE

radio plays, Earwigs and The 78s. He has also appeared in RTE’s Fair

City as Adam Bermingham for the last four years.

Noel Young - Captain Lancey Having served as Sergeant Tinley in The Plough and the Stars, Noel is

delighted to be promoted to the rank of Captain Lancey in

Translations. He fondly remembers Judge Brack in Hedda Gabler and

lesser mortals like Jimmy Farrell in The Playboy of the Western

World. He is happy to be out of the technical box again.

Arthur Williams - Lieutenant Yolland Arthur is originally from Templeogue and joined Rathfarnham Theatre

in 2008. He has always had a keen interest in theatre and in 2005 on

the advice of a friend joined the Gaiety school of acting. He also dab-

bles in the odd spot of comedy from time to time performing at numer-

ous venues in Dublin city. Arthur has starred in Ruby of Elsinore, Liv-

ing Quarters and Hall of Healing with RTG. He is a keen supporter of

Fighting Blindness and the most important thing to him is his family

and friends.