Car Tourismo Banner
Home » Arts & Culture » Happy occasion for Ennis playwright

Happy occasion for Ennis playwright

Car Tourismo Banner

Michael Marshall at his home in Ennis.
AT just 20 years of age, Michael Marshall is to have his first play read by Druid Theatre during the Galway Arts Festival.

It’s a coup for the young Ennis man, who is studying Performing Arts at Sligo Institute of Technology and has been involved with Clare Youth Theatre.

The play, Happy Birthday Jacob, tells the story of 17-year-old Jacob Dooley, who is playing both mother and father to his 10-year-old brother Lucas, while both parents are absent.
No one suspects the two are alone, with only Jacob’s girlfriend Terry in on the secret. Things are going fine until their mother returns, which brings a lot of upheaval.

Speaking to The Clare Champion Michael said he is delighted that Druid has chosen his play, although the significance of it did not strike him immediately.
“When I got the email, first of all it didn’t hit me. Of course everyone else in my course in college would know how big a deal it is and how big a company Druid are.”
While it will be primarily a reading, some of the scenes may be performed. “It’s a reading of the play and there will be slide performances in it. In certain parts there might be actors, that’s up to the director.”

Michael will be in the audience watching and, afterwards, will speak to the audience about the play.
Outlining the plot, he said, “It’s basically about two brothers. They live by themselves, their father is an alcoholic and their mother left them eight years earlier. Jacob, one of the brothers, is 17 and he’s looking after his younger brother Lucas, who’s 10. Eventually the mother comes back on the scene and she has intentions of taking Lucas with her. It’s about how two brothers survive by themselves. Then eventually Lucas gets attached to the mother and it becomes about whether she’ll take him or not.”

While he’s still very young, he actually has the play written for some time already. “I wrote the play when I was 17. I sent it off to Druid when I was 18 and I didn’t really bother much with writing until I heard back from them. I had joined Clare Youth Theatre when I was 16 years of age and I got my taste for theatre there and carried on with it.”

The course he is taking at Sligo IT gives a fairly full grounding in theatre. “In the first year there’s acting, directing, stage management, play analysis, more or less everything. In the second year you pick acting or design and I picked design. Next year there’s creative writing and things like that. Basically there’s everything that’s involved in theatre, you get a taste of all of the aspects.”

He hasn’t written another play since Happy Birthday Jacob but may get started shortly after next Tuesday’s performance. “I had it in my head that I wanted this play finished and done with, so after this reading hopefully I’ll be done with it. I have a few new ideas for plays.”

The reading will be on the afternoon of July 23 at the Druid Theatre in Galway.

Druid has had a huge role in the development of Irish theatre. It was founded in 1975 by UCG graduates Garry Hynes, the late Mick Lally and Marie Mullen. It was the first professional theatre company in Ireland to be based outside Dublin. Garry Hynes was artistic director from 1975 to 1991 and has been back in the role since 1995.

About News Editor

Check Also

Clare Rose in full bloom at special New York parade

The 1968 Clare Rose was one of a bunch of 27 former Rose of Tralee …