Fighting Words and the Abbey Theatre present

WINDOWS

WRITTEN BY MICHAEL LAVERY, RAY MCHALLEM 21 LOUÍ MONTAGUE, AISLING MURPHY EMILY MURRAY NELSON , ÉADAOIN O’NEILL, JOE REIDY and SELINA XU abbeytheatre.ie DIRECTED BY #WINDOWS21 JEDA DE BRÍ PREMIERING ON TUESDAY 20 JULY 2021 WATCH ON ABBEYTHEATRE.IE COMPANY

Cast Juliette Crosbie Holly Hannaway Special Thanks To: Esther Ayo James Rosa Devine, the original coordinator at the beginning of Clinton Liberty the project. Colm Quearney who provided background support and Matthew Malone assistance. Katie McCann Emily Dedakis and all at Fighting Words NI.

Writers Michael Lavery We would also like to acknowledge our partner theatres Ray McHallem who worked with these young playwrights to get them to Louí Montague this stage. Aisling Murphy Emily Murray Nelson Mermaid Theatre, Bray, Co. Wicklow. Éadaoin O’Neill Riverbank Arts Centre, Newbridge, Co. Kildare. Joe Reidy Lyric Theatre, Belfast, Co. Antrim. Selina Xu Everyman Theatre, Cork, Co. Cork. Graffiti Theatre Company,Cork, Co. Cork. Linenhall Theatre, Castlebar, Co. Mayo. Fighting Words Mentors Hilary Fannin Riverside Theatre, Coleraine, Co. Derry/Londonderry. Úna Kavanagh Playhouse Theatre, Derry/Londonderry, Co. Derry/ Fighting Words Programme Londonderry. Coordinator Mark Davidson Nun’s Island Theatre, Galway, Co. Galway. Director Jeda de Brí Lighting Design Dara Hoban Finally, thanks to Creative Ireland. Sound Designer Danny Forde Voice Director Andrea Ainsworth Running Time: Approx. 90 minutes. There is no interval. Casting Sarah Jones Producer Phil Kingston Production Manager Sally Withnell Company Manager Danny Erskine Company Stage Manager Tara Furlong Video Production Areaman Marketing Fergus Hannigan Jack O’Dea Irish Sign Language Interpreter Vanessa O’Connell

ISL interpreted performances feature a professional

interpreter who translates the production into Irish Sign Language. The story so far . . . For over ten years, Fighting Words and the Abbey Theatre have had a uniquely productive relationship. For a decade now, short plays, written and developed by teenage playwrights at Fighting Words, have been given professional readings on the Abbey stage in an annual one- day festival. The growing strength of this uplifting WRITERS’ NOTE collaboration led to talks about creating EIGHT something more ambitious, a single piece of theatre that would attempt to capture a glimpse of young lives nationwide. And then . . . the pandemic hit. The Abbey went dark, in-house workshops at Fighting Words were suspended. However, YOUNG over the course of a year a group of writers, along with two Fighting Words mentors and the organisation’s programme coordinator, met regularly over Zoom, where the young writers WRITERS continued to think, talk and write about their experiences of living in an altered world. The result is WINDOWS 21, a glancing look at young lives fighting for breath in the face of a global crisis. Written by eight young writers, aged between 15 and 18 (who sadly never had the joy of being in an actual room together eating biscuits and reading each other’s work), the piece stands as a testament to their continued desire to write and communicate through these tough and sometimes lonely times. From not going clubbing because you’re living with your vulnerable nan, to the dark inner world of a Deliveroo cyclist, via the Gods debating the meaning of love, this is theatre at its purest, most honest and joyous.

WINDOWS 21 is proudly brought to you by Michael Lavery, Ray McHallem, Louí Montague, Aisling Murphy, Emily Murray Nelson, Éadaoin O’Neill, Joe Reidy and Selina Xu. ABBEY THEATRE STAFF

Andrea Ainsworth Sandra Gibney Caitríona McLaughlin BOARD Donal Ayton Shane Gill Gus McNamara Mairéad Delaney Cliff Barragry Catherine Griffin Victoria Miller Loretta Dignam Roxzan Bowes John Gunning Nadine-Mary Moore Bosco Hogan Aoife Brady Jamie Hallahan Conor Mullan Peter Lowry Susan Bryan Cliodhna Hallissey Tara Mulvihill Máire O’Higgins Niamh Buckley Thomas Hand Donna Murphy Breda O’Keeffe Nicola Burke Fergus Hannigan Eimer Murphy Michael Owens Orla Burke Grace Healy Orlagh Murphy Dr. Frances Ruane (Chair) Simon Burke Marie Hegarty Neil Murray Michael Wall Christina Byrne Daniel Hickey Agnieszka Myszka Michael West Eoin Byrne William Hickey Emily Ní Bhroin Maura Campbell Dermot Hicks Síofra Ní Chiardha David Carpenter James Hickson Pawel Nieworaj Luke Casserly Dara Hogan Holly O’Brien Daire Cavanagh Laura Honan Adam O’Connell Priyanka Chidgumpi Narges Jahani Esther O’Connor Conall Coleman Larry Jones Colin O’Connor Derek Conaghy Sarah Jones Jack O’Dea Laura Condon Maeve Keane Aoife O’Neill Evan Connolly Fergus Kelly Tara O’Reilly Jeff Conway Yvonne Kelly Emma-Kate O’Reilly Jen Coppinger Ailbhe Kelly-Miller Selina O’Reilly Richard Curwood Tom Kennedy Simon O’Reilly Mairéad Delaney Shane Kenny Feidhlim O’Shea Sean Dennehy Andy Keogh Sinead Purcell Pat Dillon Phil Kingston Valentina Quiroga Debbie Doak Anne Kyle Martin Reid Bronagh Doherty Michael Kyle Dean Reidy Colin Doran Luke Lamont Fiona Reynolds Con Doyle Marie Lawlor David Roper Nolan David Doyle Adrian Leake Josh Roxby Laura Doyle Jonne Lindfors Pat Russell Ken Dunne Ciara Lynch Barbara Ryan Morgan Dunne Bridget Lynskey Joe Sanders Danny Erskine Faust Sarah Smith Breege Fahy Julia MacConville Louise Stephens Eimear Farrell Darren Magnier Fergal Styles Lisa Farrelly Heather Maher Cydney Thompson John Finnegan Elaine Mannion Seán Treacy Craig Flaherty Katie McCann Renée Van De David Fleming Éadaoin McCarrick Schoor Ellen Fleming Davy McChrystal Sean Walsh Robert Flynn Dan McDermott Jesse Weaver Veronica Foo Kevin McFadden Sarah-Jane Williams Tara Furlong Róisín McGann Sally Withnell Sophie Furlong Ciaran McGlynn Monika Wlodarczyk Tighe Terence McGoff Bill Woodland Derek Garland Grace McKiernan Diarmuid Woods Donna Geraghty Graham McLaren ABBEY THEATRE SUPPORTERS

GOLD AMBASSADORS Behaviour and Attitudes

SILVER AMBASSADORS Trocadero The Merrion Hotel

DIRECTORS’ CIRCLE Tony Ahearne Richard and Sherril Burrows PRINCIPAL PARTNER Pat Butler The Cielinski Family Deirdre Finan Donal Moore Sheelagh O’Neill Dr. Frances Ruane Susan and Denis Tinsley Lloyd Weinreb PROGRAMME PARTNERS SILVER PATRONS Frances Britton Tommy Gibbons Dr. John Keane Andrew Mackey Eugenie Mackey Eugene Magee Gerard and Liv McNaughton Prof. Joseph Walshe The Kathleen Murphy Foundation CORPORATE GUARDIANS