My children’s show “A Bag of Queens” went down really well in An Grianan during the week and I’m looking forward to upcoming performances in Backstage Longford, and Roscommon Arts Centre next week. The show will return to Donegal in the autumn for a tour of schools as part of a Peace 3 Initiative facilitated by An Grianan
www.backstage.ie
www.roscommonartscentre.ie
“It was last October that I allowed that I had a notion regarding “Sparkplug Callaghan’s Emporium of Theatrical Delight” the summer is on us now and I am happy to tell it’s already going better than I could have imagined in such a short time. Sparkplug appeared in “A Bag of Queens” a new show for children premiered and toured as part of the “Donegal Bay and Bluestacks Festival”; the show will be performed in Roscommon, Longford and Letterkenny in the coming weeks and shall return in autumn as part of a tour produced by An Grianan.
Emporium of Everyday Magic an Arts and Disability Networking Pilot Project funded by the Arts Council and Galway Co. Council at The Skylark Centre Athenry, this is a storytelling with music project using resonant objects incorporating an “emporium” installation creating an environment of safety, play and innovative storytelling. This project has turned out to be pure delight; already I have made many new friends and we have been busy creating songs.
“Sparkplug” this show has been commissioned by Earagail Arts Festival and shall premiere in July. In March I was fortunate to spend some time developing ideas in the Tyrone Guthrie Centre as part of MAKE 2012 and the show is now in pre-production, due to begin rehearsals in June. “Sparkplug” will also be performed at Tuam Arts Festival with a nationwide tour to follow in the winter.
Sparkplug Callaghan will also be appearing with the Highly Strung Orchestra in the Mother’s Arms and in a new show to be produced by An Grianan in 2013.
The Happy Prince was recorded as part of a live broadcast from RTE RadioStudio One http://www.donegalpublicart.ie/media/happy_prince_rte_jr.mp3In April I shall be performing with the Donegal Youth Orchestra conducted by Vincent Kennedy at An Grianan Theatre Letterkenny. The Happy Prince (aka The Happy Swallow) is an adaptation of the Oscar Wilde classic commissioned by the Donegal County Council Public Arts Office, with music composed by Vincent Kennedy. Vincent and myself spent a week last September in Annaghmakerrig working together with the words and music and now the orchestra are in rehearsals, it’s sounding good and all in all I am very pleased with the way its turning out.
“Sparkplug Callaghan’s Emporium of Theatrical Delight” is a thing that i intend to spend the next ten years working on, and though i haven’t a notion what twists and turns are down the road i have a sense of the rare and beautiful journey that i am embarking on.