PRESS RELEASE
Culture Ireland supports Irish Theatre and Dance at Performing Arts Showcase in Edinburgh 2009
5th May 2009
The Culture Ireland Performing Arts Showcase at Edinburgh in 2009 will feature work in both the prestigious Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
This is the third year that Culture Ireland has supported the presentation of Irish work at this important arts market, with many companies receiving invitations to present their work at key international festivals following their performances at Edinburgh. Both Druid and the Abbey Theatre have received prestigious Fringe First Awards for their productions of new Irish writing by Mark O’Rowe and Enda Walsh.
The Edinburgh International Festival is a curated festival - all artists and companies appear in the Festival at the invitation of the Festival Director. There have been ten directors since the Festival began, each bringing their own style and interests. The current Festival Director is Jonathan Mills. 2009 is his third Festival and this year he explores ideas about the 18th century Scottish Enlightenment. Click here for information on the Festival or to book tickets. (link to www.eif.co.uk)
In 2009 The Gate Theatre will present its acclaimed trilogy of Friel plays (Faith Healer, The Yalta Game and Afterplay) at the King’s Theatre as part of the Edinburgh International Festival (14th Aug – 5th Sept). These performances follow on the success of the productions earlier this year at the Sydney Festival. www.gate-theatre.ie
In addition to the Gate Theatre at the EIF, both Gúna Nua and Making Strange theatre companies will present new Irish work at Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The award-winning Little Gem by Elaine Murphy will continue the Traverse Theatre’s long history of presenting new Irish plays as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe (3rd – 30th August). Founded in 1998, Gúna Nua has produced thirteen shows to date, eight of them new plays by Irish writers, and has received numerous awards and nominations for ground-breaking work. www.gunanua.com
Making Strange will present Megan Riordan’s original production of Luck as part of the Underbelly programme at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Founded in 2005, the company specialises in creating original theatre pieces and Luck has successfully played to sell-out audiences at the Dublin Fringe Festival and Bewley’s Café Theatre. www.makingstrange.com
Culture Ireland is particularly pleased to continue the partnership forged with Dance Base in Edinburgh in 2008 in presenting a special programme of Irish contemporary dance. Fidget Feet Aerial Dance Company will bring their extraordinary production of Raw, directed by David Bolger and choreographed by Chantal McCormick, to a site-specific location. Raw mixes contemporary dance and aerial skills using ropes, harnesses and poles. www.fidgetfeet.com
Rex Levitates present Unsung, a collaboration between choreographer Liz Roche and composer Mícheál O Súilleabháin. Unsung attempts to re-interpret how traditional Irish dances are put together to see how they can be adapted and made relevant to a contemporary dancers body. www.rexlevitates.com
Fearghus O Conchúir will perform work produced in collaboration with Chinese choreographer Xiao Ke and composer Yin Yi.
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe runs from 7th to 31st August 2009. It is the biggest arts festival in the world and features theatre, dance, music, comedy and exhibitions. Click here for information on the Festival or to book tickets. (link to http://www.edfringe.com)