Review of An Seanfhear Beag
by Derek West
of Irish theatre Magazine
(Reviewed: 29 October '09)
Click
here to read this review at the Irish Theatre Magazine
website
Theatre for children and young people occupies a spectrum that
ranges from the didactic (more frequently the domain of the
adolescent productions) to the magical, aimed at a younger age-group.
An Seanfhear Beag is unequivocally on the side of the magical
and it ticks almost all the boxes for children’s theatre
of the highest order, drawing on both local and national influences:
it is Irish, in that the few words employed in the course of
the action are Gaelic; it is European in that the company took
a child’s story from Sweden (by Barbro Lindgren) and transposed
it to an Irish village. Branar chose, as their mentor, Bjarne
Sandborg of Teater Refleksion, Denmark, clearly a master of
story-telling and sparse theatrical subtlety; and they found
a talented Galway (German-born) puppet-maker, Suse Reibisch,
to develop the characters.
The social context is a vindictive place, a kind of village
of squinting windows, where every move of the seanfhear is plotted,
briefly sentimentalized and ultimately derided by voices coming
from the row of miniature houses set above the main action.
This is magic
of a high order – not based on smoke and mirrors
or the phantasmagorical, but on a closely-observed account
of the human need for contact. |
It is breathtakingly serene. From Morgan Cooke’s ethereal
music – melodika, flute, citre and wine glasses, all demanding
an attentive ear - to the meticulously-observed movement of
the old man, this is deceptively simple story-telling –
solitary individual befriends dog – which touches minds
and hearts from five-years-old to infirmity. The uncompromising
commitment to allowing the tale unfurl, in a gentle, unhurried
fashion, respecting the very texture of solitude (in Irish,
that emotive word uaigneas), makes it an affecting piece of
theatre.
The stillness of the seanfhear sitting on his doorstep, or going
about the lone task of watering his flowers gives a piecing
sense of his exile. The whisking-tailed madra that erupts into
his life, followed later by the cailín and her kite (eitleog),
demonstrates that life can be turned around. If the old man’s
gait and fixed facial expression - superbly crafted by Reibisch
- conveys a deep and unspoken sadness, the woolly anarchy of
an madra, all agitation and energy, and the lightness of the
kite, expresses hope and optimism.
This play evokes the human condition at multiple levels and,
by its concentration, commands wonder and reflection. That sense
is compounded by the visibility of the humans. (It is interesting
that these were not puppeteers of long standing, rather actors
who learnt this medium because it was the one they felt best
told the story.) Their intense, silent focus on the work, their
apparent identification with their puppets - the agitation of
Máire Greaney Daly’s hands corresponding absolutely
with the exuberance of an madra; the deliberate and delicate
manipulations of an seanfhear by Marc MacLochlainn are an extension
and an elaboration of the old man’s character - give an
added articulation to the presentation. This is magic of a high
order – not based on smoke and mirrors or the phantasmagorical,
but on a closely-observed account of the human need for contact.
Derek West has reviewed theatre for almost 25 years.
He also edits publications for NAPD, the school principals’
national organisation.
An Seanfhear Beag
After six months of work we are finally ready to show
An Seanfhear Beag to the world. We will on tour nation wide
in October and visiting no fewer than 8 festivals in 3 weeks,
from the 8th of October to 25th. The dates are listed below.
Come along and see this magical show.
AN SEANFHEAR BEAG TOUR DATES.
PREVIEWING Imaginosity 30th sept,
Feile an Fhomhair Carlow 8th Oct,
OPENING IN BABARO 12-14TH OCT,
SONAS Louisburg16th Oct,
Ionad naomh pádraig, Dobhair, Donegal 19th oct
Lolipop Roscommon arts centre20th,
Boradh Buan, Axis Ballymun 21st,
Leanbh Drogheda 22nd,
Roola Boola Linenhall Castlebar 23rd and 25th Oct.
The Gathering, Draíocht, 28th Oct.
Bjarne Sandborg in Galway
On the I8th Of June Branar are delighted to be hosting
an event for TYA Ireland in Galway. Theatre director, puppeteer
and artistic director of Teatre Refleksion, Bjarne Sandborg,
will speak about his process of rehearsal and also about his
work with Branar on AN SEANFHEAR BEAG.
There will also be a showing of a work in progress version of
the play and an opportunity to discuss the piece. This is a
wonderful chance for the children’s theatre community
in Ireland to open a forum whereby we can discuss each others
work with a view to raising the quality of our work to an even
higher level. If you would like to attend please contact us
by e-mail.
Na Sioga returns for spring
Tour 2009
Branar’s well loved show Na Sioga Agus An Gréasaí
returns in January and will tour schools in the West until June.
Danish Links
Branar are delighted to announce that we will be working with
the world famous Bjarne Sandborg from Teatre Refleksion on a
version of “The story of the Little Old Man” by
Barbro Lindgren. Work will commence in Spring 09 and hopefully
the show will open in late summer.
Team members
Branar welcomes Sinead Ní Chonchubhair, Elaine Scahill
and Eilis Ní Dhonnacha on board. All three of the girls
will be concentrating providing workshops to schools and youth
groups nationwide.
Course for Teachers
22.05.08
Following the success of last years course, Branar and Graffiti
will once again be running a course for Primary Teachers in the
practical uses of drama in the classroom. The course commences
on the 1st of July and will run to the 5th in Cork. For information
contact Branar or Graffiti at 021 4397111.
Na Síoga agus an Gréasaí
2008
Branar are delighted to be bringing back the sell family show
Na Síoga agus an Gréasaí. See recent productions.
This show will be available for festivals and Venues in July.
We will be performing at:
Cavan Arts Festival 1st July, Roundstone Arts
festival 6th July, McCraken Summer school 23rd July, Áras
Éanna Inis Oirr, 19th July, Sprog Childrens Arts festival,
29th.
Cavan Arts Festival 1st July,
Roundstone Arts festival 6th July, McCraken Summer school 23rd
July, Áras Éanna Inis Oirr, 19th July, Sprog Childrens
Arts festival, 29th.
Course for Teachers
28.06.2007
Branar in conjunction with Graffiti Theatre in Education company
will run a course for Primary Teachers on the Practical uses
of drama in the Classroom. The course commences on the 2nd of
July and will run for a week until the 6th. All Information
from either Branar or Graffiti at 021 4397111.
Festival 07
27.06.2007
Branar will be performing AN CHÉAD CHÉIM, as part
of the following festivals in the next few months.
Earagail Arts Festival- 16/07/07 Dunglow and 17/07/07 Falcarragh.
The Mc Craken Summer school, 25/ 07/ 07 -Belfast
Taibhdhearc naGaillimhe – 27,28 29/ 07/07- Gaillimh
An Culturlann, 3ú/08/07 - Belfast.
Baboró International Childrens Festival- 15ú/10/07
– Gaillimh
Sonas, Childrens arts festival, Louisburg, 16ú/10/07,
Mayo
Aisling, Childrens arts festival, 17ú/10/07 –
Longfort.
Baboró on tour - 18ú/10/07 – Co na Gaillimhe.
Top 50
26.06.2007
In a recent competion ran by Lá nua, newspaper in conjunction
with Price Waterhouse Cooper, Branar was named in the Top 50
Business that use Irish. The winners were announce at an occasion
in the Four Seasons Hotel in Dublin.
Branar is delighted to welcome
03.02.2007
Clíona de Brí as drama facilitator for both secondary
and primary schools. Clíona worked with Branar in 2004
before returning to college to study for her masters in Drama
at NUI Galway. Clíona will be doing workshops in secondary
schools around the country from February.
AN CHÉAD CHÉIM - Rehearsal are in full swing
for this years primary school production aimed at 4th 5th and
6th class. Branar are delighted to have Miquel Barceló
directing again this year. The play promises to be a feast for
the imagination. The tour begins on the 28th of February.
Sold out Spring Schedule
10.06.2006
Branar wrapped up its spring tour of ‘The Elves &
The Shoemaker’ at the beginning of June 2006. Extra shows
were staged to cater for demand agus the production visited
over 60 schools throughout the country with 3,500 primary schools
students participating in the programme. Branar will be staging
20 extra shows during the summer in An Taibhdhearc Theatre in
Galway as part of the Project 2006 festival.
Fizz fest
10.03.2006
Roola Boola
10.02.2006
Branar sell out at the Ark January O6
10.01.2006
