ROSS O’CARROLL-KELLY Postcards from the Ledge

Broadcast live from Mermaid Arts Centre, Bray Saturday 15 May, 2021

1 On-Demand 16–23 May, 2021 Contents

Landmark Productions 4 The Hook, Lyon and Sinker Guide to Estate Agent Jargon 6

Paul Howard 8

Ross O’Carroll-Kelly 10

Rory Nolan 11

The Ledge Writ Lorge 12

Jimmy Fay 14

Grace Smart 15 POST-SHOW TALK Credits 16 with and Rory Nolan Paul Keogan 18 Denis Clohessy 19 in conversation with Ross O’Carroll-Kelly: The Stage Years 20 Irish Times columnist Róisín Ingle Thanks 22 As part of Live Broadcast and available on-demand Join The Conversation 24

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2 3 Landmark Productions Producer Landmark Productions ROSS O’CARROLL-KELLY Postcards from the Landmark Productions is one of ’s It produces a wide range of ambitious leading theatre producers. It produces work – plays, operas and musicals – in wide-ranging work in Ireland, and shares theatres ranging from the 66-seat New that work with international audiences. Theatre to the 1,254-seat Olympia. It Ledge co-produces regularly with a number of Earlier this year it launched Landmark partners, including, most significantly, Live, a new online streaming platform International Arts Festival and Irish by Paul Howard to enable the company to bring the National Opera. Its 18 world premieres thrill of live theatre to audiences around include new plays by major Irish writers Director the world. Postcards from the Ledge is such as and Mark O’Rowe, the third production to be streamed to featuring a roll-call of Ireland’s finest Jimmy Fay date. In June, Landmark will present the actors, directors and designers. world premiere of a new play by Deirdre Set and Costume Designer Kinahan, The Saviour, broadcast live from Numerous awards include the Judges’ Grace Smart the Everyman Theatre. Louise Lowe will Special Award at The Irish Times Irish direct Marie Mullen and in Theatre Awards, in recognition of Lighting Designer this blistering new play, presented as part ‘sustained excellence in programming and of Midsummer Festival 2021. for developing imaginative partnerships Paul Keogan to bring quality theatre to the Irish and Led by Anne Clarke since the company’s international stage’; and a Special Tribute Sound Designer foundation in 2003, Landmark’s Award for Anne Clarke, for her work as Denis Clohessy productions have received multiple ‘a producer of world-class theatre in the awards and have been seen in leading independent sector in Ireland’. theatres in , New York and beyond. www.landmarkproductions.ie Broadcast live from Mermaid Arts Centre, Bray Saturday 15 May, 2021 JOIN THE LANDMARK MAILING LIST HERE On-Demand 16–23 May, 2021 to find out about future Ross O’Carroll-Kelly shows and other upcoming events.

4 5 The Hook, Lyon and Sinker Original character, retains much South Killiney: of its: We couldn’t get all of the Definitely Ballybrack. blood out of the living room carpet. Guide to Estate Agent Jargon Stunning: Okayish. Period: Old. Subject to planning permission: Architect-designed interior: First-time buyer, would ideally Plumbed for a washing There is no planning permission. A madman laid it out. suit: It’s fine if it’s all you can afford. machine: There is no washing machine. Sylvan setting: Bijou: Foxrock: Probably Cornelscourt. There are trees nearby. There isn’t room for two people to Renewed buyer interest, an area break wind at the same time. Fully fitted: The previous owners of: People are so desperate to get on Style: Used as a suffix by estate left the bath, the toilet and the sink. the property ladder that they’ll even agents. This also means “not” - as in Blank canvas: Derelict. consider moving here. an “Adam-style fireplace” is not an Galley kitchen: Half a kitchen. Adam fireplace. Carpets and curtains included: Restaurant quarter, close to a You’ll have to throw them out Good-neighbourhood-adjacent: lively: Opposite a chipper. Tasteful: It’s a subjective thing. yourself. It’s in a bad neighbourhood. Rustic: Ramshackle. Terenure: Cash buyer, would ideally suit: Glenageary: Probably Sallynoggin. Templeogue. No question. No bank would lend you the money Sea views: to buy it. Highly motivated seller: If you stand on the toilet bowl in the Transport links, conveniently Can’t wait to be rid of it. upstairs bathroom and crane your close to all: The people on the Characterful: The toilet is outside. neck to the left, you can sometimes upper deck of the bus can see in your Imaginative use of space: see water, provided the tide is in. window. Charming: Ugly. Even smaller than it appears. Secluded: Up-and-coming: Colourful history, a house with a: Investor, represents an ideal No one will hear you scream. Many of the local criminals are Drugs were sold from here. opportunity for an: considered Ones to Watch in the No one who buys it would ever Self contained: future. Commutable distance from dream of living in it. Includes four walls and a ceiling. : It’s in the Midlands. Vibrant: Neighbours from hell. Low-maintenance garden: Shabby-chic: It was last decorated Compact: You’ll have to sit in the A paved over garden, possibly when the Beatles were all still mates. next room to watch TV. concealing a dead body. Situated close to all the Cosy: You’ll have to sit outside to Mock-Tudor: Not Tudor. conveniences of modern living: watch TV. Opposite a convenience store that Open-plan: It’s one room. sells drink. DIY enthusiast, scope for Smart: Empty. improvement, especially for On-street parking: the: Structurally unsound. Requires There is no parking. South-facing rear-garden: plumbing and rewiring. You’d better enjoy the sight of your Opportunity: Headache. neighbours semi-naked.

6 7 Paul Howard Author

Paul Howard is a multi-award-winning In 2012, he wrote the book and lyrics among Irish athletes and an interview journalist, author, playwright and for Anglo: The Musical, a puppet-based, with the disgraced former sprinter, Ben comedy writer. He has been described comedy musical about the collapse Johnson. He was also shortlisted for the by The Irish Times as ‘Ireland’s pre- of Ireland’s banks. In 2018, his second award in 2002, 2003, and 2004. eminent satirist’ and by the Irish musical comedy, Copperface Jacks: In October 2016, his biography of Tara Independent as ‘one of the world’s The Musical was the sell-out hit of the Browne, the Irish-born Guinness heir funniest writers’. He is best known as the summer. His satirical football memoir, immortalised in The Beatles’ song ‘A Day creator of Ross O’Carroll-Kelly, a fictional Triggs – The Autobiography of Roy Keane’s in the Life’, was published by Picador. rugby jock whose exploits have been Dog, was a number one bestseller in It won the Best Non-Fiction award at the subject of twenty novels, which 2012 and was shortlisted for an Irish the 2016 Irish Book Awards and has have collectively sold more than 1.5 Book Award. been optioned for a movie by a major million copies in Ireland alone. production studio. He has written comedy for radio and He is also the author of three previous television and was one of the main Ross O’Carroll-Kelly plays, The Last sketch writers on the twice IFTA- Days of the Celtic Tiger in 2007, Between nominated satirical TV show Irish Foxrock and a Hard Place in 2010 and Pictorial Weekly, in which he appeared Breaking Dad in 2014, all of which as David Drumm and Peter Darragh enjoyed long sell-out runs and revivals Quinn. He has also written sketches for in Dublin, Cork and Limerick. The Mario Rosenstock Show. In 2014, he was commissioned by US network E! He is a four-time Irish Book Award to write a pilot for a sitcom he devised winner, collecting the Best Popular called The Cliterati. Fiction prize for Should Have Got Off at Sydney Parade in 2007, The Oh My God Before he embarked on a career as a Delusion in 2010, and Downturn Abbey comedy writer, he was one of Ireland’s in 2013. most respected sports journalists, working mostly for The Sunday Tribune, In 2013, he was named Columnist of the covering World Cups, Olympic Games Year for his weekly satirical column in and numerous other major sporting The Irish Times. events. He was named Irish Sports Journalist of the Year in 1998 for an investigation into eating disorders

8 9 Ross O’Carroll-Kelly Rory Nolan

Ross O’Carroll-Kelly is the great Nearly A Whistle in the Dark and Famine as part of Man of Irish rugby – and he doesn’t mean DruidMurphy, and The Colleen Bawn for the that in a big-headed way. company.

After leading Castlerock College to victory Rory graduated from the Gaiety School of in the Leinster Schools Senior Cup final Acting in 2003, making his post-graduate of 1999, great things were predicted for debut in The Drunkard, a new adaptation the man generally regarded as the most by Tom Murphy (B*spoke Theatre Company handsome out-half of his generation. and GIAF). Since then Rory has appeared in However, he failed to deliver on his Chekhov’s First Play (Dead Centre); Northern promise for a number of reasons, none of Star, The Importance of Being Earnest which he wants to get into now – mainly opposite Stockard Channing, The Critic, Is because he wouldn’t give Warren Gatland This About Sex, Don Carlos, Attempts on Her the satisfaction of mentioning his name. Life, Improbable Frequency, The Taming of Rory first slipped into Ross O’Carroll-Kelly’s the Shrew and Peer Gynt (Rough Magic); In recent years, Ross has concentrated Dubes fourteen years ago in The Last Days of Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in his efforts on becoming one of Ireland’s the Celtic Tiger. Since then he has appeared Paris, Death of a Salesman, The Importance most promising middle-aged coaches. as Ross in sold out runs of the highly of Being Earnest and A Christmas Carol (Gate Determined to give something back – and successful Between Foxrock and a Hard Place Theatre); Roddy Doyle’s adaptation of The encouraged, no doubt, by the generous and Breaking Dad (Landmark Productions). Playboy of the Western World, Macbeth, remuneration package on offer – he Big Love, Comedy of Errors, The Last Days recently inspired his old school to victory He appeared in Woyzeck in Winter (Landmark of a Reluctant Tyrant, The Rivals, Arrah-na- in the 2029 Leinster Schools Junior Cup. Productions / Galway International Arts Pogue, Translations, She Stoops To Conquer, His triplet boys were in the starting XV, Festival), which premiered in Galway in 2017 Aristocrats, The Government Inspector (Best although obviously on merit, and he and subsequently played at the Barbican, Supporting Actor nomination Irish Times resents the insinuation that it was any London and at the Gaiety (DTF). Awards); Heavenly Bodies (); other way. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Corn Exchange); Rory has appeared in the Druid production Woyzeck (Corcadorca) and Observe the When he’s not inspiring the next of The Cherry Orchard at The Town Hall Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme generation of Irish players, Ross is Theatre, Galway and has been seen as (Livin’ Dred). working as an estate agent for Hook, Lyon Pozzo in Druid’s acclaimed production of and Sinker, doing his bit to create the Waiting for Godot directed by Garry Hynes, Screen credits include A Thousand Times economic miracle that is Ireland’s latest for which he was awarded Best Supporting Goodnight with Juliette Binoche; FitzJohn property bubble. He is still, unbelievably, Actor at the Irish Times Irish Theatre in the feature film WILD; the role of Charlie married to Sorcha. Less unbelievably, he Awards 2017. He is a member of the Druid McCreevy in Charlie (Touchpaper Films/ still does alright on the side. Company ensemble and has also appeared RTÉ); Max Clayton in Fair City and most as Falstaff in DruidShakespeare (Best recently Morrice O’Hanlon in Acceptable Supporting Actor nomination Irish Times Risk (RTÉ). Awards), Conversations on a Homecoming, 10 11 plot around them, then write jokes to director, Jimmy Fay, who is still teaching grout all the pieces together. But it’s actors this old dog new tricks. who bring the comedy to life. And since Anne Clarke of Landmark first suggested Seeing Rory bring Ross to life has truly The Ledge bringing the Rossmeister to a theatre been a thrill for me. And I’m delighted writ audience, I’ve been fortunate enough to that, for once at least, he has the stage all work with some of the very best. to himself.

I have so many highlights from the last PAUL HOWARD fourteen years. The late Susan FitzGerald’s portrayal of Ross’s unscrupulous, yummy- mummy old dear, using her feminine wiles to disarm a tiger kidnapper in Lorge Between Foxrock and a Hard Place. Philip O’Sullivan’s nefarious yet lovable Charles, What? Could it really be fourteen years since Rory Nolan first brought bringing Bertie Ahern back from the Ross O’Carroll-Kelly to life on a Dublin theatre stage? It doesn’t seem political wilderness, then persuading anything close to that long ago. But then I know that it was in the Ross’s wife to join them on the Dark Side in Breaking Dad. Lisa Lambe’s pitch-perfect summer of 2007 that I first met Rory in Maureen’s Bar at the back of Sorcha stepping onto the stage holding the Olympia Theatre. With his shoulders pinned back, and his chin a stolen masterpiece, The Taking of Christ, raised forty-five degrees higher than seemed possible, he launched in the final scene of Last Days, and, with impeccable comic timing, announcing, into a monologue in a South Dublin accent that convinced me that I “Oh my God, I love Caravaggio!” was looking at the living, breathing incarnation of the character who’d inhabited my head for the best part of a decade. And two equally brilliant Ronans. Rory Keenan’s award-winning take on the The first Ross O’Carroll-Kelly play was Since then, he has come to own the eight-year-old Dublin gangster manqué, called The Last Days of the Celtic Tiger. It character, to the extent that, now, when riding around on his faithful two-wheel was meant to be an ironic title, since we I’m writing the next book, or the weekly steed. And Laurence Kinlan’s older, hands- were still very much in the middle of it at column in Irish Times, his version of Ross down-the-front-of-his-trousers version, the time, still enjoying this new mealtime is my physical and aural reference point. whose belief in crime was so rocked by we’d all discovered called brunch, still Rory’s Ross is my go-to impression of the the professional incompetence of Gary selling houses to each other for about entitled, overly confident, far-thicker-than- Cooke’s neurotic tiger kidnapper that he three times more than they were actually he-looks former schools rugby star, who began to direct the operation himself. worth. Even those Cassandras who beneath it all is vulnerable and ever so foretold the end of Ireland’s decade of slightly kind and easy to hurt. My involvement in bringing Ross to a decadence spoke of a soft landing. There live theatre audience has been one of was a brash stupidity about those times The job of the comedy writer, from what the great joys of my life as a writer. And it and Rory captured it expertly from his very I’ve learned so far, is to come up with has been my great fortune to work with first outing as Ross. amusing scenarios, build some kind of the best in the business, especially the

12 13 Jimmy Fay Grace Smart Director Designer

Theatre, having also spent time there Grace was the overall winner of the 2015 as Staff Director, Associate Director and Linbury Prize for her design for Saint Joan Literary Director. Directing work at the at The Lyric, Belfast. Abbey includes the acclaimed production of Owen McCafferty’s Quietly (also toured Her designs for theatre and opera to Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2013 and include: Herding Cats (); the Irish Rep, New York 2016), The Risen Susanna (Linbury Studio, ROH); Henry VI, People, The Government Inspector, Curse of Richard III (, the Starving Class, Macbeth, The Playboy of Shakespeare’s Globe); Crocodile Fever the Western World, Ages of the Moon, The (Traverse, Edinburgh); The End of History… Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, The Seafarer, (Royal Court); God of Chaos (Theatre Saved, The School for Scandal, Howie the Royal Plymouth); One Night in Miami… Rookie, True West, Henry IV, The Muesli Belt, (Nottingham Playhouse/Bristol Old Vic/ At Swim-Two-Birds, Melonfarmer and The HOME, Manchester); Good Vibrations, Papar. In New York he directed the world The Colleen Bawn, Here Comes the Night For Landmark, Jimmy has directed Greener premiere production of ’s (Lyric, Belfast); Killer Joe ( Trafalgar by Fiona Looney, and all the previous play Ages of the Moon starring Stephen Rea Studios); Postcards from the Ledge (Gaiety, Ross O’Carroll-Kelly plays: Breaking Dad, at the Atlantic Theater. Jimmy was the first Dublin); The World’s Wife (WNO); Shebeen Between Foxrock and a Hard Place and Director of the Dublin Fringe Festival and (Nottingham Playhouse); Mighty Atoms The Last Days of the Celtic Tiger, all by Artistic Director of Bedrock Productions. (Hull Truck); Normal, Blasted (STYX); East Paul Howard. Directing credits there include the Irish is East (Northern Stage/Nottingham premieres of This Is Our Youth, Roberto Playhouse); Shopping and Fucking (Lyric Jimmy is the Executive Producer of the Zucco, Blasted, Night Just Before The Forest, Hammersmith); A Midsummer Night’s Lyric Theatre, Belfast, where he has Quay West and Faraway. In 2007 he was Dream (Guildhall); Here Lie the Remains directed Double Cross by Tom Kilroy (co- invited to curate the theatre programme of Mercy (Theatre Deli); Wonderland (UK production with The Abbey), Fire Below for the prestigious Kilkenny Arts Festival. Tour); Bar Mitzvah Boy (Gatehouse); A (a war of words) by Owen McCafferty Doll’s House (); Object Love (co-production with The Abbey), The (VAULT Festival); The Pier (Studio, Oxford Ladykillers by Graham Linehan, St. Joan Playhouse); The Picture of Dorian Gray and by Bernard Shaw, Here Comes the Night by 3 Sisters on Hope Street (LIPA). Rosemary Jenkinson, Pentecost by Stewart Parker, Mixed Marriage by St John Ervine and True West by Sam Shepard. He has been an Associate Artist of the Abbey

14 15 Writer Paul Howard Landmark Productions Director Jimmy Fay Set and Costume Designer Grace Smart Lighting Designer Paul Keogan ROSS O’CARROLL-KELLY Sound Designer Denis Clohessy

Production Manager Eamonn Fox Stage Director Sophie Flynn Postcards Stage Manager Dylan Farrell from the Costume Supervisor Ciara Fleming Hair and Make-Up Val Sherlock Ledge Mic Technician Niall Woods Set Construction TPS Cast Scenic Artists Sandra Butler, Jason McCaffrey Ross Rory Nolan Producer Anne Clarke by FeaturingPaul the voices Howard of Digital Producer Hugh Farrell Ronan Laurence Kinlan Marketing Sinead McPhillips Charles Philip O’Sullivan Social Media Comms Doireann Gillan Lucy Kate Gilmore Publicity Sabrina Sheehan | Mission PR Box Office Assistant Annie Duffy McMahon Sorcha Lisa Lambe Photography Patrick Redmond Honor Caoimhe O’Malley Illustration Alan Clarke Graphic Design Gareth Jones Time – May 2029 Place – 22 Glenageary Crescent, Sallynoggin, Dublin Join the conversation online @RossOCK #PostcardsfromtheLedge The performance runs for approximately 2 hours, including an interval of 15 minutes. BROADCAST STREAMING | SEISMIC Director Noel Vaughan Camera Operators Martin Cavanagh Katie Hughes Audio Engineer Karl McGovern Streaming Directors Willie Van Velzen Matt Herlihy Executive Producer Jessica Fuller 16 17 Paul Keogan Denis Clohessy Lighting Designer Sound Designer

Paul studied Drama at Trinity College Denis has worked with numerous Dublin and Glasgow University. dance and theatre companies including The Abbey Theatre, The Gate Theatre, Recent theatre credits include Breaking Fishamble, Rough Magic, Junk Ensemble, Dad, Between Foxrock and a Hard Place, Brokentalkers, CoisCeim, Corn Exchange, (Landmark The Tron Theatre, Glasgow, Northlight Productions); Katie Roche, Cyprus Avenue, Theatre, Chicago and Beijing Children’s , Our Few and Evil Theatre. He won the Irish Times Theatre Days, The Risen People and Drum Belly Award for Best Design Sound in 2019 and (Abbey Theatre); The Caretaker (Bristol Old 2010 and was a nominee in 2015. Denis Vic); A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian was an associate artist with the Abbey and The Gaul (Hull Truck); Tribes, Blasted, in 2008 and was a participant on Rough Afterplay and Blue/Orange (Crucible, Magic’s ADVANCE programme in 2012. In Sheffield); Sinners, Here Comes The Night 2016 Pat Kinevane’s play Silent (Fishamble) (Lyric Theatre, Belfast); A Streetcar Named won an Olivier Award, for which Denis Desire (Liverpool Playhouse); Molly composed the music. Sweeney (Gate Theatre); Before it Rains (Sherman Cymru/Bristol Old Vic); The His work in film includes composing music Hudsucker Proxy (Nuffield, Southampton); for the feature films Under The Clock and Far Away (Corcadora Theatre Company); Older than Ireland (Snack box Films), The and Big Maggie (Druid). Irish Pub (Atom Films), His and Hers (Venom Film), The Land of the Enlightened (Savage Recent opera credits include Falstaff Film), In View (Underground Cinema) and (Vienna State Opera); Dialogues des The Reluctant Revolutionary (Underground Carmelites (Grange Park Opera); Wake Films). His television work includes (Nationale Reisopera, Netherlands); Abbeyfeale Good and The Confessors (Atom The Makropulos Case (Opera Zuid, Films), The Bailout (John Kelleher Media) Netherlands); and Dead Man Walking and the TV series The Limits of Liberty (Opera Ireland) . (South Wind Blows) performed by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra. Recent dance credits include Giselle (Ballet Ireland); Cassandra and Hansel and Gretel (Royal Ballet); and No Man’s Land (English National Ballet/Queensland Ballet).

18 19 Ross O’Carroll-Kelly The Stage Years

Breaking Dad

20 21 Thank You

Landmark Productions would like to thank Manus Agnew, Maurice Cassidy, Eamonn Ceannt, Alan Clarke, Tom Clinch, Richard Cook, Joan Costello, Sara Cregan, Moya Doherty, , Dubarry of Ireland, Dubray Books, Julian Erskine, Paul Fahy, John Finn, Jackie Gallagher, Brendan Galvin, Basil Geoghegan, Michael Gleeson, Pádraig Heneghan, Sile Heneghan, Paul Joyce, Julie Kelleher and all at Mermaid Arts Centre, Eoin Kilkenny, Cliona Lewis, Sheena Masterson, John McBratney, Noelle McCarthy, John McColgan, Sinead McGrath, Michael McLoughlin, Tracey McLoughlin, Gerard McNaughton, Aaron Monaghan, Pat Moylan, Faith O’Grady, Maura O’Keeffe, Stephen O’Neill, Gavin O’Sullivan, Patricia Reilly, Jonathan Rothwell, Renata Fitzpatrick Sheridan, Jonathan Shankey, Cally Shine, Tom Slattery, Eleanor White, Emily White and Jonathan White.

Virtual Tour Partners Postcards from the Ledge is broadcast live by Landmark Productions from the stage of LANDMARK PRODUCTIONS Mermaid Arts Centre, Bray, and is presented as part of a nationwide virtual tour to the following venues:

UCH Limerick; Cork Opera House; Pavilion, Dún Laoghaire; Town Hall Theatre, Galway; An Grianán, Letterkenny; Backstage Theatre, Longford; Dunamaise Arts Centre, Portlaoise; glór, Ennis; Siamsa Tíre, Tralee; The Courthouse Arts Centre, Wicklow and Wexford Arts Centre.

Thank you to all our partners.

Paul Howard would like to thank Anne Clarke and her brilliant Landmark team, who have made the last fourteen years so BY DEIRDRE KINAHAN memorable and so rewarding, especially Sara Cregan, Sophie Flynn and Jonathan White. With Landmark, you always get to work with the very best of people. On this show, it has DIRECTED BY LOUISE LOWE been my pleasure to work with Paul Keogan, Eamonn Fox, Carl Kennedy, Denis Clohessy, STARRING MARIE MULLEN Grace Smart and Val Sherlock. Thank you to the cast, seen and unseen: Lisa Lambe, Philip O’Sullivan, Laurence Kinlan and Caoimhe O’Malley. And fond thoughts going out to AND BRIAN GLEESON the late Susan Fitzgerald. Thanks to my agent, Faith O’Grady. Thanks to my wife, Mary McCarthy. And massive, massive thanks to the two men without whom I would never Live Broadcast from Everyman Theatre, Cork have pulled any of this off: director Jimmy Fay, my Phil Spector (without the threats of as part of Cork Midsummer Festival gun violence); and the great Rory Nolan, a legend in his own Dubes Live Broadcast 19–20 June

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