Abbey Theatre - Amharclann na Mainistreach

NAVAN
Ah Navan! Strolled through town after our cue to cue in search of sustenance. Found a kebab restaurant, sat down to read and ordered kubideh with pitta bread. Three customers and the cook were conversing to the point where I had to put my book down and just listen in to their chat. The Iraq pronunciation of “knife” or “Knor” compared to the Turkish was put up for notice. The cook took great pleasure in his example of the hard K. I was delighted. Like I was in Izmir, Co. Meath.
Some family and my old friend Colm made it up from Cork to see the show the first night there. Lots of “Corka-cork-cork-cork!” as Paul Reid’s valorous man might put it.
I have fond/painful memories of The Solstice Arts Centre when Theatre Lovett’s one man show A Man in Half performed there a few years back. After a cracking show I ended up in Navan Hospital with a mightily wounded shin. We’ll say nothin’. Met Artistic Director Belinda Quirke for a chat after the Wednesday show. She welcomed me back. First played Solstice with A Picture of Me in 2008 also directed by Mikel Murfi. Then back again with A Man in Half and a sore shin. And now back with B for Baby. See you soon, B for Belinda.

DROGHEDA
Fine fare in West 29 restolounge. That’s a new one for me. A restolounge. Freshened up in their restorooms before I left to visit Oliver Plunkett’s head. My first time meeting the man. I must say I was a bit moved.
Some grand, winding, hilly streets in Drogheda and I felt a bit like Theseus as I asked after An Droichead Arts Centre exact location. Sure enough I was gradually reeled in towards the town’s labyrinthine core. I wonder where the Greek lad parked his car when he went after the Bull-Man. Inside An Droichead we enjoyed a courteous welcome. We were well looked after. Great thing about touring with a show is meeting all the different teams behind these venues. Different accents, approaches, audiences, accoutrements dans les dressing rooms et cetera.

PORTLAOISE
No restolounges in Portlaoise, I’ll have you know. But The Old Bank House is a lovely new addition to the town centre especially after the sad demise of The Kitchen and Foodhall. Before I discovered The Bank House’s cream tea and tapas, however, I had to succumb to my first ever pre-show dinner from a take-away chipper. Oh my, oh my, oh my! There’s a first time for everything and that starchy, booster infusion actually proved a fine tonic for my theatrical task that evening. I was wonderful, darling! (Burp!)
Always good to be in the hands of Nick Anton and his crew. Dunamaise old timer Kate Heffernan, newly returned from Tasmania and back on home turf, popped in to say G’day! From the ground floor stage to the dressing rooms on the 11th floor (I jest – just!) and back again will suffice as a warm up. (To the tune of Camptown Races) “Oh the Dunamaise Dressing Rooms are very high, very high, nearly in the sky etc.” Ah, they’re not really. It’s just when your tummy’s full of chips….
I took the opportunity to visit a couple of local Laois schools with Dunamaise director Louise Donlon and put some of the chisellers through their paces in an enjoyable introduction to acting. (Louise’s Ophelia had the school hall in floods!)
The Mermaid Arts Centre in Bray next. Haven’t they a grand café there?