The Great Hunger by Patrick Kavanagh

Mon 13 – Thu 16 Nov at 8pm | Sat 18 + Sat 25 Nov at 2pm

A treat for the ear, the eye and the imagination – Down Recorder
Peter Duffy’s powerful theatrical performance of Patrick Kavanagh’s poetic masterpiece The Great Hunger has toured all over Ireland and abroad, to popular and critical acclaim including performances in the Irish Cultural Centre in Paris, the Cathedral Quarter Festival in Belfast, The Town House in Galway, Theatre Royal in Waterford and a very successful two week run in Smock Alley in 2016.

The epic poem (1942) adapted for stage is set in rural Co. Monaghan in the 1930’s/early 40’s but could have been set in most rural areas of the country. With echoes of the Great Famine” in the title and the text, the narrative thread concerns the life and struggles of small farmer Patrick Maguire, a life of economic and imaginative privation, especially psychical and sexual. Yet this magnificent piece is full of humour, lyrical beauty, drama, description and mystical insight.

“..a finely-achieved and compelling production. Its conclusion was greeted with a standing ovation from the appreciative audience and the accolade was fully merited….it is an outstanding performance” – Galway Advertiser

“Peter Duffy’s one-man performance of the poem is as epic as the work…softly spoken, with despair and regret pouring out of his being, Duffy hypnotises his audience; constantly drawing us into his tale. He
captures all the lyricism of the verse and the emptiness of a man who has stood guard over an empty castle for far too long.” – Waterford News and Star

Running time 75 min approx, no interval

This performance has been made possible by the kind permission of the Trustees of the Estate of the late Katherine B Kavanagh, through the Jonathon Williams Literary Agency.

The Grand Inquisitor by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

In a version by Peter Duffy, based on a Translation by Helena P. (Madame) Blavatsky.

Fri 17, Sat 18 and Mon 20 Nov at 8pm | Sat 25 Nov at 5pm

The story is from the fifth chapter of Dostoyevsky’s great Russian novel The Brothers Karamazov. A classic of world literature, where Ivan (an atheist and one of the brothers) questions the possibility of a personal and benevolent God to his brother and novice monk Alyosha. To explain and prove his case he tells the story (he calls it a poem) of “The Grand Inquisitor.” In sixteenth century Seville Christ comes back to earth at the time of The Inquisition. The result is a fascinating exploration of philosophical, political, religious and ethical questions. Is free will and universal happiness incompatible ? Is the provision of material comfort and security more important than dependence on “faith”, even if it means degrees of totalitarianism and control ? Is unconditional love greater than everything else ? What is the story’s relevance to present day Ireland, Europe and the world?

The piece concentrates on the Inquisitor’s visit and interrogation of Jesus in his jail cell.

Running time 50 min approx, no interval

The Murders at Wildgoose Lodge, Carleton and Me written by Peter Duffy

(including an abbreviated version of William Carleton’s story of Wildgoose Lodge).

Tue 21 – Sat 25 Nov at 8pm

The worst atrocity of the 19th Century, more people executed than 1916, at least half of whom were deemed to be innocent, yet very few people seem to know anything about it. Why ?

The murders at Wildgoose Lodge took place in 1816 over 200 years ago. The Tyrone writer William Carleton stayed in the area in 1817. He saw the gibbeted bodies hanging by the roadside and wrote a story concerning the event. His story of the events came to be the accepted version of what happened. But was it accurate and true?

A story taking place in pre-famine Ireland : Secret Societies, Ribbonism, Penal Laws, The Gothic, Religion, Landlordism, Gibbeting, Hardship and Hunger, this piece will investigate the facts and circumstances surrounding Wildgoose Lodge and related matters.

Running time 80-90min (TBC) with an interval

Inspired by Professor Terence Dooley’s Book “The Murders at Wildgoose Lodge” and aided by his kind and helpful assistance.