Town Is Dead. Phillip McMahon

       WORLD PREMIEREAN ABBEY THEATRE COMMISSION

      TOWN

      IS DEAD

      A PLAY WITHIN MUSIC

      WRITTEN BY PHILLIP MCMAHON

      MUSIC BY RAYMOND SCANNELL

      Premiered on the Peacock stage on 8 June 2016

The Abbey Theatre gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Arts Council of Ireland and the support of the Department of the Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.

      ABBEY

      THEATRE

      AMHARCLANN

      NA MAINISTREACH

      THE ABBEY THEATRE is Ireland’s national theatre. It was founded by W.B. Yeats and Lady Augusta Gregory. Since it first opened its doors in 1904 the theatre has played a vital and often controversial role in the literary, social and cultural life of Ireland.

      We place the writer and theatre-maker at the heart of all that we do, commissioning and producing exciting new work and creating discourse and debate on the political, cultural and social issues of the day. Our aim is to present great theatre in a national context so that the stories told on stage have a resonance with artists and audiences alike.

      In 1905, the Abbey Theatre first toured internationally and continues to be an ambassador for Irish arts and culture worldwide.

      Over the years, the Abbey Theatre has nurtured and premiered the work of major playwrights such as J.M. Synge and Sean O’Casey as well as contemporary classics from Sebastian Barry, Marina Carr, Bernard Farrell, Brian Friel, Thomas Kilroy, Frank McGuinness, Tom Mac Intyre, Tom Murphy, Mark O’Rowe and Billy Roche.

      We support a new generation of Irish writers at the Abbey Theatre including Richard Dormer, Gary Duggan, Shaun Dunne, Stacey Gregg, Nancy Harris, David Ireland, Jimmy McAleavey, Owen McCafferty, Phillip McMahon, Elaine Murphy, Sean P. Summers, Michael West and Carmel Winters.

      None of this can happen without our audiences and our supporters. Annie Horniman provided crucial financial support to the Abbey in its first years. Many others have followed her lead by investing in and supporting our work.

      We also gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Arts Council.

      IS Í AMHARCLANN NA MAINISTREACH amharclann náisiúnta na hÉireann.

      W.B. Yeats agus an Bantiarna Augusta Gregory a bhunaigh í. Riamh anall ón uair a osclaíodh a doirse i 1904, ghlac an amharclann ról an-tábhachtach agus, go minic, ról a bhí sách conspóideach, i saol liteartha, sóisialta agus cultúrtha na hÉireann.

      Tá an scríobhneoir agus and t-amharclannóir i gcroílár a dhéanaimid anseo san amharclann, trí shaothar nua spreagúil a choimisiúnú agus a léiriú agus trí dhioscúrsa agus díospóireacht a chruthú i dtaobh cheisteanna polaitiúla, cultúrtha agus sóisialta na linne. Is í an aidhm atá againn amharclannaíochta den scoth a láithriú i gcomhthéacs náisiúnta ionas go mbeidh dáimh ag lucht ealaíne agus lucht féachana araon leis na scéalta a bhíonn á n-aithris ar an stáitse.

      I 1905 is ea a chuaigh complacht Amharclann na Mainistreach ar camchuairt idirnáisiúnta den chéad uair agus leanann sí i gcónaí de bheith ina hambasadóir ar fud an domhain d’ealaíona agus cultúr na hÉireann.

      In imeacht na mblianta, rinne Amharclann na Mainistreach saothar mórdhrámadóirí ar nós J.M. Synge agus Sean O’Casey a chothú agus a chéadléiriú, mar a rinne sí freisin i gcás clasaicí comhaimseartha ó dhrámadóirí amhail Sebastian Barry, Marina Carr, Bernard Farrell, Brian Friel, Thomas Kilroy, Frank McGuinness, Tom Mac Intyre, Tom Murphy, Mark O’Rowe agus Billy Roche.

      Tugaimid tacaíocht chomh maith don ghlúin nua Scríbhneoirí Éireannacha in Amharclann na Mainistreach, lena n-áirítear Richard Dormer, Gary Duggan, Shaun Dunne, Stacey Gregg, Nancy Harris, David Ireland, Jimmy McAleavey, Owen McCafferty, Phillip McMahon, Elaine Murphy, Sean P. Summers, Michael West agus Carmel Winters.

      Ní féidir aon ní den chineál sin a thabhairt i gcrích gan ár lucht féachana agus ár lucht tacaíochta. Sholáthair Annie Horniman tacaíocht airgid ríthábhachtach don Mhainistir siar i mblianta tosaigh na hamharclainne. Lean iliomad daoine eile an dea-shampla ceannródaíochta sin uaithi ó shin trí infheistíocht a dhéanamh inár gcuid oibre agus tacaíocht a thabhairt dúinn.

      Táimid fíor bhúich don tacaíocht airgeadais atá le fail ón Chomhairle Ealaíon.

       There will be no interval.

      SPECIAL THANKS TO

      Katie Honan, Ruth Westley, Rosaleen Linehan, Aideen Howard, John Fairleigh, Adam Matthews, Aidan Kelly, Angela McMahon, Tom O’Dea, Seamus Wylie, Wayne Jordan, Irish Theatre Institute, the Tyrone Guthrie Centre and Roma 2 on Wexford Street. A very special thank you to Kate Stanley Brennan and Ger Kelly.

M•A•C Cosmetics for providing make-up products for this production.

      TOWN

      IS DEAD

      A PLAY WITHIN MUSIC

      WRITTEN BY PHILLIP MCMAHON

      MUSIC BY RAYMOND SCANNELL

      Town is Dead was conceived and developed by Phillip McMahon and Raymond Scannell.

      Please note that the text of the play which appears in this volume may be changed during the rehearsal process and appear in a slightly altered form in performance.

      BIOGRAPHIES

       Writer and Director

      Phillip McMahon

       Music By

      Raymond Scannell

       Cast

      Barbara Brennan

      Kate Gilmore

      Fia Houston-Hamilton

      Conall Keating