Producer Pat Moylan introduces Angela's Ashes: The Musical, which streams live from Dublin's Olympia Theatre on Thursday 9th September, and is available on demand from Sept 10th - 12th.
May 14th, 2021: The laptop went 'bling'. Another email. Another bargain lockdown offer? Let’s see what they are trying to sell me now. But no! This time it was from the Dept. of Tourism, Culture, Arts etc informing me that my application for a grant to produce Angela’s Ashes – the Musical during the summer months had been successful. Hallelujah!
From that moment on, I was in overdrive. Time was short. Could I get cast, creatives and crew together in time? Thousands of emails and phone calls later we were moving, and the possibilities were showing positive.
With such a large company and only 50 people allowed in a theatre during COVID, my only option was to stream the show.
The Olympia Theatre were thrilled to be asked to stage and stream the production, and to add to the excitement the Irish Repertory Theatre in New York also agreed to stream it for two weeks. This would be its American Premiere. All of my dreams were coming true.
It was then down to work on budgets. All very straightforward when you have been doing this job as long as I have. But what about the filming? Who does that, how many people will it take to film this show, how long will it take and most importantly... how much will it cost? I was learning on my feet.
Constantly, I was having to ask the stupid question - what are jibs, J-cuts, roughs, pick-ups etc.? How does the show arrive on screen and what do the theatres have to do to get it to their audiences? I now have a new knowledge and vocabulary on filming and streaming that I am glad to possess.
The excitement in the rehearsal room on the first morning was palpable. Old faces, new faces, all masked and all ready. After the paralysis of the pandemic, they were raring to go. Crews worked in warehouses getting the sets, props and costumes together for the big move. Then off to the Olympia, a spring in every step.
The first sound I heard at the stage door on that first morning was the music. Our sensational music. My heart rose at the re-assuring sounds coming from the band. Once more I see the cast in costume, ready for their technical rehearsal, ready to spend the week being filmed.
Everything has come together, the music, the cast, the sets and the film crew are in action. I look up from my seat in the stalls and breath a sigh of relief. Let the magic begin!
Angela's Ashes: The Musical will be broadcast live online from Dublin's Olympia Theatre on Thursday 9 September and will be available to View On Demand 10 - 12 September - find out more here.
