U N D E R T H E H A W T H O R N T R E E

2 7 S E P T E M B E R - 7 O C T O B E R A T T H E M A C

P R O G R A M M E N O T E S

This dramatisation of UNDER THE HAWTHORN TREE is based on the book UNDER THE HAWTHORN TREE © text 1990 Marita Conlon-McKenna, published by THE O’BRIEN PRESS, DUBLIN. In association with National Museum’s Northern Ireland. M E E T T H E C A S T

A D A M D O U G A L Originally from Belfast, Adam trained at The Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. Theatre credits include: The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole (aged 13 3/4) (The MAC), Barney Carey Gets His Wings (The Watergate), Lessons in Love and Violence (Royal Opera House, London), New Jersey Nights(UK and China), The Merchant of Venice (c21), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (The MAC), The Break (The MAC), Departure Lounge (The Baby Grand), Little Red Riding Hood (The Waterfront Hall), Alice in Wonderland (The Cockpit, London), Shot at Dawn (The Gatehouse, London), Footloose(Gordon Craig Theatre), Aladdin and Cinderella (Greenwich Theatre), Midas (St James Theatre).

C O L E T T E L E N N O N D O U G A L Colette comes from Belfast and trained in Musical Theatre at The Royal Academy Music in London. Theatre credits include: The Colleen Bawn (The Lyric), Hansel and Gretel (The MAC), Adrian Mole (aged 13 3/4) (The MAC), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (The MAC), The Faerie Thorn (Big Telly), Gordon Osrams Funeral (Accidental Theatre), That Man Musical (Hippodrome, London), The Merchant of Venice (C21),The ClockMakers Daughter (The Landor, London), Pride and Prejudice (The Lyric /Everyman Theatre). Colette has toured Europe and Germany in The Best of the Musicals and Broadway Goes Rock, where she played Mary Poppins, Christine (Phantom) and Elphaba (Wicked). She toured USA with Celtic Nights as lead vocalist. Film/TV credits include: Paige in Mute (sexyraygun), How we won the war (BBC).

F R A N K I E M c C A F F E R T Y Frankie is delighted to be working with Cahoots NI again, having previously appeared in A Spell of Cold Weather (written by Charles Way) and Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf at the Lyric. He has often performed for young audiences and was sidekick to Littlejohn Nee in Surfing with a Camel at the Galway Arts Festival, where he also read stories for young children. He is well known as an actor on stage and screen, appearing at the Lyric, the Abbey Theatre, Druid Theatre and at the National Theatre in London. His most recent role was in the Corcadorca Theatre production of The Numbered in Fitzgerald’s Park as part of the Cork Midsummer Festival. Favourite roles include Da in Trad by Mark Doherty (Winner of Edinburgh Fringe First award and Adelaide fringe award during an international tour), Tom Fool in At the Black Pig’s Dyke (Belfast Telegraph best actor award), Dinzie in John B Keane’s Sharon’s Grave and Ivan in Conor McPherson’s The Seafarer. He wrote and performed a one-man play Tintype at the Kilkenny Arts Festival. TV credits include: Vikings, Ripper Street, Twenty Twelve, The Woman in White, Charlie, Murder in Eden, the forthcoming Death and Nightingales and as Donal in over fifty episodes of the long-running Ballykissangel. Film credits include: Philomena, In the Name of the Father, Fools of Fortune, Omagh, Fifty Dead Men Walking, Bad Day for the Cut, Angela’s Ashes. Frankie trained at the Conservatoire National Supérieur d’Art Dramatique in Paris and has taught performing arts at QUB and Belfast Met.

J U L I A D E A R D E N Julia's theatre includes : The Gift(Cahoots NI), Electra (The Old Vic), Loyal Women (Royal Court Theatre), The Winter’s Tale, The Crucible and Camille (RSC), The Shaughraun (National Theatre England), Romeo and Juliet (ESC), Dancing at Lughnasa (West End), Una Pooka, The Mai and The Bloody Sunday Inquiry (Tricycle Theatre), The Silver Tassie (Almeida), Much Ado about Nothing (Sheffield Crucible), Shadow of a Gunman (Citizens Glasgow), Bold Girls (7:84), The Blind Fiddler (Assembly Rooms), Antigone, Scenes From The Big Picture, Christmas Eve Can Kill You, Da, The Importance of Being Earnest (The Lyric, Belfast), Ruby, Pentecost (Tinderbox), Hold your Tongue, Hold your Dead (GAC Boston). Film and TV credits include: Derry Girls, After Life, Paula, The Fall (Series 1- 3) Line of Duty, The Frankenstein Chronicles, The Secret, Doctors, The Billy Plays, Troubles, Northhanger Abbey, Cal, The Most Fertile Man in Ireland, Wild About Harry and Titanic Town. Julia has also worked extensively in Radio Drama. M E E T T H E C A S T

M A E V E S M Y T H Maeve studied at East 15 Acting School. Theatre credits include: The Colleen Bawn (The Lyric), The Threepenny Opera (NI Opera at the Lyric), The Assistant’s Revenge (Cahoots NI), Macbeth (c21 Theatre Company at The Grand Opera House). Maeve has appeared in numerous short films, including Je Suis Le Cat’s production of Monkeys in The Garden, which has been accepted into five film festivals, including the prestigious Galway Film Fleadh.

M A G G I E C R O N I N Maggie is an award-winning actress, writer and director. Film credits include: Normal People (in post- production), The Shore (Oscar Winner: ‘Short Film Live Action Category’ 2012), To Lose Control, Whole Lotta Sole, Shooting For Socrates, High Rise and Zoo. TV credits include: Doctors (BBC 1); United (BBC); The Bill (ITV); Holby City (BBC); The Clinic (RTÉ); Scapegoat (BBC), Marú (TG4), My Mother And Other Strangers (BBC1), The Frankenstein Chronicles (ITV). Maggie’s stage appearances have included Broadway, West End, Ireland, UK , Europe, Pakistan and USA. Writing credits include: A Most Notorious Woman (Stewart Parker Trust/ BBC Radio Drama Award), Greenstick Boy, Kitty Gulliver and Shrieking Sisters and short stories broadcast on Radio Ulster and Radio 4.

P H I L I P P A O ’ H A R A Philippa is a singer and actor from Belfast. She trained in BMC’s Performing Arts course which she completed with a Degree in Drama from QUB. Theatre credits include: Shh! We have a Plan (Cahoots NI), Pinocchio (Cahoots NI), Little Red Riding Hood (Market Place Theatre), The Andrews Sisters at the Derry Jazz Festival (Playhouse Theatre), My Mother and Other Strangers (BBC NI).

T E R E N C E K E E L E Y

Terence studied at Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Theatre credits include: The Ferryman (Geilgud, West End), Macbeth (Shakespeare's Globe), The Beauty Queen of Leenane (Young Vic), This is My Family (Crucible, Sheffield). Television credits include: Titanic - Blood and Steel, Frankenstein Chronicles, Derry Girls.

M E E T T H E C O M P A N Y

A U T H O R D I R E C T O R C O M P O S E R / S O U N D D E S I G N E R Marita Conlon-McKenna Paul Bosco Mc Eneaney Garth McConaghie

A D A P T A T I O N B Y C H O R E O G R A P H E R C O S T U M E / S E T D E S I G N Charles Way Carlos Pons Guerra Sabine Dargent

L I G H T I N G D E S I G N M U S I C A L D I R E C T O R A S S I S T A N T D I R E C T O R James McFetridge Shane McVicker Sarah Lyle

S T A G E M A N A G E R A C T I N G A S M S E T B U I L D E R Ashley Smyth Richard Thomas Paine Philip Goss

C O S T U M E M A K E R A R T W O R K B A N D Judy Kay Jordan Henderson Darragh Murphy James Nash Rod Patterson Matt Weir A W O R D F R O M T H E C A H O O T S N I Paul Bosco Mc Eneaney

"I was inspired by the incredible story of Under the Hawthorn Tree by Marita Conlon-McKenna when my son brought the book home from school. Something about the journey of these brave children struck me as having perfect theatrical elements that I wanted to explore in a way that hadn't been done before.

What came as a surprise to me was the huge worldwide impact the book has had on generations since it was published in 1990 by The O’Brien Press, Dublin. In the run up to this project, this has become hugely evident. Those who loved the story almost 30 years ago can still recall their most stand-out moments, which they can now share with their children.

Having Marita’s incredible book to draw on has allowed us an opportunity to address a difficult subject matter that can be challenging for a young audience, particularly since the subject is still so relevant in today’s world. We were delighted when National Museums Northern Ireland commissioned a development of the piece in 2016 with Cahoots NI and writer Charles Way and thus started a long, exciting journey that leads us to the full-scale production you now see on stage.

I’d like to thank our wonderful creative team, many of whom we have had the pleasure of collaborating with in the past, for their vision and drive in bringing this story to life on the scale it deserves. We have loved working with the team at The MAC on this co-production and are looking forward to being back here in just a few weeks time to begin work on The Elves and the Shoemaker for the Christmas season. We have a fantastic production team and a wonderfully talented cast - I thank them all for the skill, dedication and emotional energy they have invested into the show.

A huge thank you to Marita Conlon-McKenna and O’Brien Press for entrusting us with this story and for being so generous with their time throughout the process. Finally, thank you to you, our audience, for coming to see Under the Hawthorn Tree. We are delighted to share this much-loved story with you today. Enjoy the show!" A W O R D F R O M T H E C A H O O T S N I Marita Conlon-McKenna

The story of the Great Irish Famine is the story of Ireland and her people.

"It is hard to believe that pre -famine Ireland had a large population of 8 million people; many were tenants living in small cottages totally dependent on the potato which fed and kept their families year after year. The arrival of potato blight which destroyed this important food crop in 1845 and totally decimated it countrywide again in 1846 meant disaster for Ireland. Soon the people were hungry, starving with absolutely nothing to eat. Rents went unpaid and families were evicted. Political and government responses to ‘The Hunger’ were slow and crowds flooded into the towns and onto the roads looking for help.

Public Road Works Schemes were set up but many were far too weak to undertake such heavy physical labour. Workhouses soon became overcrowded and soup kitchens were set up to feed the starving. Disease and fever soon spread in such conditions. Over 1 million people died during the Great Irish Famine with another 1 million emigrating to America, Canada, England and Australia.

The story of Eily, Michael and Peggy O’Driscoll is the story of one of these families. ‘Under the Hawthorn Tree’ was written for my own children as I wanted them to really understand the tragedy of the Great Irish Famine.

Seeing it on stage for the first time in Ireland is very special and I hope that it will resonate with audiences both young and old. Unfortunately famine, hunger, disease and displacement still stalk the world with children living in refugee camps, using feeding stations, with many forced to make long, dangerous journeys to safety and peace. Surely we all must learn from history and try to make the world a better place for our fellow man. "