Co-writer and co-producer of new Irish language radio sitcom Carthanacht Chlíodhna on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta Dorothy Cotter writes about writing comedy for radio as Gaeilge.
Carthanacht Chlíodhna is a brand new Irish language radio sitcom on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta, created by Pinch Of Sult Productions. It's set in a tiny village where fiery Clíodhna De Brí is obsessed with winning the All Ireland Charity Shop Championship. Unfortunately, her scheming nemesis Bríd Óg runs a rival charity shop directly across the street.
Pinch Of Sult’s co-writer and co-producer Dorothy Cotter tells us how the show came about:
I mí Aibreáin 2019, bhí RTÉ ag lorg smaointe do shraith raidió nua a chraolfaí ar RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta. I had some producing under my belt and had written several radio plays, short films and short plays. As an actor, I had performed in lots of radio dramas for RTÉ and many Irish language plays and tv series. I thought a charity shop would make a great setting for a comedy. They have their own distinct atmosphere and seem to attract an eclectic mix of characters. I was tickled at the thought of a cut-throat charity shop rivalry between two older women. I approached my friend Cillian Ó Donnachadha with the idea and asked him to collaborate with me. Cillian is a master of many trades; actor, director, writer, producer, and he works consistently in the Irish language. He also shares my surreal, dark and quick sense of humour. Very important in a comedy partnership!
"Father Ted ar acid do do chluasa." ⚡️👂🏻
— Pinch Of Sult Productions (@Pinch_Of_Sult) June 28, 2023
Déanann an t-aisteoir @MarcusCoLAMBo cur síos ar an dráma grinn Carthanacht Chlíodhna ar @RTERnaG #Gaelige #RnaG #AudioDrama #Comedy #FatherTed pic.twitter.com/QG7gKYxxJN
Chruthaíomar Pinch of Sult Productions chun togra a chur le chéile do RTÉ. Bhí ríméad orainn nuair a ghlac siad le a bheith mar chraoltóir agus comhaoinitheoir an dhráma. Ach bhí orainn toirt an cistiú a fháil ó Coimisiún na Meán. Chun an maoiniú seo a aimsiú bhí orainn clár píolótach a scríobh agus sin mar a dhein muid. Bhí an-chraic go deo againn ag scríobh an chéad eagrán don seó. Chomh luath is a bhí an caractar Clíodhna scríofa againn, thuigeamar beirt go mbeadh Bairbre Ní Chaoimh foirfe don pháirt. Bhí taithí ag an mbeirt againn a bheith ag obair léi agus mheas muid go mbeadh an chutzpah ceart aici don ról. Agus go deimhin bhí an ceart againn. Bhí an-áthas orainn nuair a fuair muid amach go raibh Coimisiún na Meán sásta Carthanacht Chlíodhna a mhaoiniú. Bhí plean simplí againn, na heagráin a scriobh le linn an Earraigh, agus taifead a dhéanamh i Bealtaine 2020. Ach, faraor, tharla... rud éigin... le linn na hama sin agus bhí orainn an taifead a chur ar athló go dtí 2022.
The only upside to the pandemic was that it gave us extra time to work on the scripts. Cillian and I wanted the show to appeal to a wide range of listeners so we wove together lots of different influences. We used The Playboy of the Western World as a very loose framework for the series but seen from Widow Quinn’s perspective. Our shared love of 80s and 90s comedies like Father Ted, Keeping Up Appearances and Airplane! influenced a lot of goofy and visual gags. The fast paced and quirky plots were inspired by tv shows like Parks and Rec, 30 Rock, Brooklyn 99 - extreme silliness with lots of heart. Writing for radio allows for more farcical events; we have a character dancing on the ceiling during a 'sean-nós dance off’. We used sound effects in really playful ways too. Clíodhna’s ringtone is that classic ‘Duhn duhn DUHHNNNNN’ sound and she conveniently gets a text whenever something dramatic happens. I don’t think it’s like anything that’s been on Irish radio before.
Tá cliar den scoth againn don sraith: Donncha Crowley, Marcus Lamb, Áine Ní Laoghaire and Eoin P Ó Murchu agus ar ndóigh Bairbre Ní Chaoimh mar Chlíodhna. Ba ardphleisiúr é an script a chloisteáil os ard sa stiúideo, agus na haisteoirí ag cur beocht sna carachtair.
Bhí sceitimíní orainn ag éisteacht leis an gcéad eagrán craolta. Ach go háirithe leis an gceol iontach cumtha ag an cumadóir cumasach, Steve Lynch.
Bíonn Carthanacht Chlíodhna á chraoladh ar RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta gach Deardaoin ag 8.30pm agus is féidir leat éist siar anseo
