‘Clever drama’ looks at Both Sides

‘Clever drama’ looks at Both Sides

9 August 2017

AN intriguing double-sided drama which premiered at the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival will be performed at Down County Museum next month.

As part of its Northern Ireland tour,’Both Sides’ will stop in Downpatrick on September 9.

The drama comprises two interlocking monologues — ‘Me Here, Me’ and ‘Before Before’. Set in Paris and Nice retrospectively, it is inspired by the work of Samuel Beckett.

In the first, a young woman sits in a Paris café, watching the life of the street unfold.  Everyday incidents seem unremarkable, until viewed through the prism of Beckett’s vision, at which point troubling stories emerge.  

Like them, the young woman has her own hidden history and, in a flash of realisation, she fears it may soon be revealed.

In the second, a once-beautiful middle-aged woman takes up her usual seat at a bar in the old town of Nice. It is a special night, and she looks back ruefully on an eventful life, which began with an impetuous decision to leave Belfast in her youth. She recalls a painful loss which continues to haunt her.  The spirit of Beckett looms large in her thoughts.

The production brings together the established combination of Hannah Coyle, a young Belfast actress who is based in Paris, and Libby Smyth, one of Northern Ireland’s most popular and versatile actresses.

The creative team is led by Rhiann Jeffrey, an associate director with Prime Cut Productions. The writer Jane Coyle is an arts journalist and critic, who studied at the Sorbonne in Paris and has lived and worked in Paris and Nice.

The atmosphere of these two great cities is brought to life through the playing of Mark Prescott (violin) and Annette Collins (concertina), who are founder members of Bal Feirste, the Belfast-based French dance association.

“Me Here, Me was written as a stand-alone piece,” said Jane. “I hadn’t intended to write a companion monologue but slowly another voice found its way into my head. The title Before Before echoes a line from the first piece and shifts the focus on to a woman from Belfast, who has lived  a colourful life in France for many years. 

The production of Both Sides has been funded by The National Lottery through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s Small Grants programme.

Gilly Campbell, Arts Development Officer for Drama and Dance, Arts Council, said:  “Jane Coyle is a talented emerging playwright who, alongside the skilled creative team and actors in Both Sides, offers audiences a wonderful tale inspired by Beckett.  

“The Arts Council was delighted to support the premiere of this play in May at Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival and would encourage everyone to go along and experience it during the tour taking place throughout the region.”

Reviews of 2017 Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival premieres refer to “insightful writing, sensitive performances” (Irish News).

“A clever drama, which operates on two levels ... the stories and sorrow of two women keep our attention,” says theatre critic Grania McFadden (The Deadhead).

Both Sides will be performed at 7.30pm on September 9. Tickets are £5 and are available from Down Museum. Telephone 028 4461 5218. More information is available at www.downcountymuseum.com.