Actress Sarah Madigan, who features in The Abbey's production of Jimmy's Hall, writes for Culture about the national tour of the hit show, which concludes this week at the Cork Opera House.
SATURDAY
It’s a rainy morning in Dublin and I’m heading into the Abbey a bit earlier than usual. We have matinees on Saturday but before the show today we’re also giving a touch tour of the set to visually impaired members of the audience. I’m really looking forward to it. The Abbey (and Lisa Farrelly, from the Community and Education team) do great work to make their shows accessible to everyone. By the end of the run we will have done several Sign Language interpreted, captioned and audio-described performances.
WATCH: Sarah and the cast of Jimmy's Hall go behind the scenes at The Abbey
Myself, Muiris Crowley (who plays Sean) and Mags Mulvey (our Stage Manager) meet today’s audio describer, Bríd Ní Gruagáin, onstage with the touch tour group. We talk them through the details of the set, the sounds made by particular instruments and the feeling of the rhythm of the dances on the wooden floorboards. I feel a funny sense of pride pointing out the details of Colin Richmond’s gorgeous set-design which now, seven weeks into the run, has become like home to us.
In between shows, we have two hours to ourselves - usually to get some food, nap and get ready for the evening performance. Insider scoop: One member of the cast has eaten so often at Boojum over the last few weeks that the staff know him by name and I once witnessed them cheer as he walked in. That’s dedication to the burrito cause.
Our last performance on the Abbey stage feels really special. Looking out into the packed auditorium as they jump to their feet at the end of the show is a sight we never take for granted. I used to pass the theatre every day when I’d get my bus home from UCD on Lower Abbey Street; standing on that stage now with a show I’m so proud of and that the audience really respond to is an incredible feeling.
SUNDAY/MONDAY
We get Sunday and Monday off this week as the production team dismantle the set in the Abbey and rebuild it in our next venue, the Town Hall Theatre in Galway. They’ve got it down to a fine art and get an unbelievable amount done in a very short space of time.
Some of the cast are heading to Galway on Monday but myself and Catherine Bell (who plays Molly) are getting a lift with Ruth McGill (who plays Tess) on Tuesday morning, which gives us an extra day to get organised for the next two weeks on tour. I know that I should probably start packing on Sunday but, of course, I don’t. I seem to enjoy the panic-induced rush of adrenaline you get from doing things at the last minute. I plan on travelling light but end up with enough clothes for approximately two outfit changes per day and enough socks to last me until Christmas. I have the best of intentions packing a couple of dresses, but I suspect that I’ll more than likely spend most of the week in my tracksuit bottoms... we’re not the wildest cast and usually head home early because we’re all so shattered (and sweaty) after the show! Richard Harris would be ashamed.
Other essential tour items include: a family pack of purple Snacks, a candle and black pepper oil. Our Stage Manager Mags recommended the oil to me for relief from sore muscles and it works a treat. Whack it in the bath with some Epsom Salts and - Bob’s your uncle, Fanny’s your aunt - you’ll be brand new!
TUESDAY
We meet at Christchurch at 10am and set off on the next leg of the Jimmy’s Hall adventure. We get to Galway, drop our bags at the accommodation and head straight to the Town Hall Theatre. When we get there we see a massive Jimmy’s Hall poster on the front of the building. It’s a bit odd seeing yourself on the side of a building; my parents will be delighted (if only for the fact it’s not a ‘Most Wanted’ mugshot). We meet the rest of the company for a quick warm-up, before the afternoon’s technical rehearsal and first performance later tonight. Each member of the acting company leads a warm-up before the show. It’s a great way to make sure everyone is doing ok physically and happy with how things went the night before.
There is a lot of music in this show, so the main focus of the technical rehearsal is to make sure that the microphones etc. are working in the space. It’s fascinating to me how much the sound quality changes when the theatre is empty compared to when there’s an audience in the space.
It’s a privilege to be working with the Abbey, and bringing Jimmy’s Hall to different counties as part of the Out of the Abbey initiative is the icing on the cake. We opened the show in Leitrim last year and are touring it to Limerick, Galway and Cork this time round. Graham McLaren and Neil Murray (the co-Artistic Directors of the Abbey Theatre) have often commented that the Abbey is Ireland’s National Theatre and should be accessible to people all over the country. They want to make sure that more productions go to where the audiences are, instead of expecting them to always have to travel to Dublin. I’m delighted to be involved in one of those productions.
WEDNESDAY
I’ve never been to Galway for more than a weekend before (except for a painful stint in the Gaeltacht many years ago, but that’s a story for another day), so I’m loving being able to explore the city. Aindrias De Staic is one of three Galwegians in the cast (along with Bríd Ní Neachtain and Alan Devally) and he recommends a few of us head out for a swim/doggy paddle at Blackrock beach in Salthill in the morning. I always hear people saying how there’s nothing like swimming in the sea, but I reckon the real draw is the sense of smug satisfaction you have after having taken the plunge! I feel like I’m on my holidays in Costa Del Salthill. Aindrias even heads back again later that afternoon at high tide with his fishing rod and catches a couple of mackerel for his dinner.
THURSDAY
Jimmy’s Hall is based on the true story of James Gralton, the only Irishman ever to be deported from his country after he opened a dance hall on his land, challenging the authority of Church and State. It’s a celebration of Irish culture and a story about the importance of community and the endurance of the human spirit in the face of oppression.
Donal O’Kelly (who plays O’Keefe) is organising a special post-show talk tonight to highlight the grim reality of the Direct Provision system and deportations happening in Ireland today. Donal was the person who first told Jimmy Gralton’s story to Paul Laverty, the screenwriter of the film on which our play is based. I think he also keeps Jimmy’s legacy alive in the way he fights for other people to be heard. The talk goes really well, with speeches from Donnah Sibanda Vuma (Movement of Asylum Seekers Ireland) and Joe Loughnane (Galway Anti-Racism Network). It’s amazing, if frightening, to see parallels between Jimmy’s Ireland of the 1930’s and today.
FRIDAY/SATURDAY
The shows are going down brilliantly in Galway, and we’re making the most of our time in this beautiful city. It’s hard to believe, after 59 shows, our run is drawing to a close. I can’t help but look around at the brilliant performers I’m sharing the stage with and feel incredibly fortunate to know and be here with them.
Our next stop is Cork Opera House, and our last week of this wonderful experience. On Sunday, we’ll be packing our bags again and heading to the People’s Republic. I don’t want it to be over, but I’m really looking forward to bringing our show to more people who’ll come to laugh and cry and rage with us there in Jimmy’s Hall.
Jimmy's Hall runs at the Cork Opera House until Saturday, September 22 - more details here.
