by Conor McDermottroe
Directed by Sean Campion
Presented by Benrae Productions
Cast: Matthew Dunphy. Ciaran McIntytre.
The World Premiere rehearsed reading
2 and 19 February 2006
“He knew he’d get the blame for doing what he’d done. Who would understand why he did it, brining a girl up on lake on a New Year’s Night. He could hear his father, warning him to stay away from the girl. Telling him she was nothing but trouble. Could see no way out, nothing left for him to do. So he let go and drifted to the bottom of the lake.”
Lit by moonlight on New Year’s Eve, sixteen-year-old Raymie Armstrong and elderly angler Joesie sit in a boat on a winter’s night threading bait through hooks. When they talk, they whisper, for fear of getting caught fishing illegally by the bailiff. Joesie thinks Raymie’s foolish to be wasting all his time on the lake, he says he should be out celebrating with lads his own age. Raymie isn’t bothered, he says he can hang out with friends anytime but nights like these are special.
Produced by Benrae Productions The Bottom of the Lake is Conor McDermottroe’s second play. His first play Swansong had a sell-out success in Dublin and Edinburgh and the Finborough Theatre in September 2005.
"A haunting picture of life on the margins.....a fine piece of writing and performance...the prose has a guttural lyricism, the situation is examined with intellectual clarity, and delivered with a vivid compassion that marks real writing talent. Emer O'Kelly, Sunday Independent
"Written and wonderfully played by Conor McDermottroe, Swansong catches flight through a combination of pump action acting and linguistic drive that makes Occi's bubbling rage and surrender to fate both a thing of horror and pity". Alan Chadwick, Metro ****
"The strongly talented Conor McDermottroe both writes and performs...He brings genuine menace to the gritty performance...
Swansong is hilarious and a heartbreaking rollercoaster of a ride brimming with (Irish) idiom and 1960's period detail.”
James Mullighan, The Scotsman ****
The Finborough Theatre has become particularly known for its recent presentation of Irish drama including the UK premiere of Frank McGuinness’ Gates of Gold, Tom Murphy’s The Gigli Concert and Brian Friel’s Freedom of the city.
Writer/Director and Performer Conor McDermottroe began his career at Irish Theatre Company as an ASM, and has worked as an actor at The Abbey, The Gate, Dublin, and The Royal National Theatre. He spent 10 years in Australia, where he featured in numerous award winning TV and film productions. On his return to Ireland, he worked with Druid Theatre Company, and returned to the Abbey Theatre Dublin for three years. More recently, Conor has written a number of screenplays and has directerd three short films including A Woman’s Hair which won best film at the Venice International Short Film Festival in November 2005.
Director Sean Campion’s most recent roles were at the Donmar Warehouse in The Cosmonaut’s Last Message… and for the Oxford Stage Company in Kathy Burke’s production of The Quare Fella. Sean was a member of the original Stones in His Pockets cast for which he was nominated for an Olivier Award in London and a Tony Award in New York.
The cast includes Ciaran McIntyre who was born in the West of Ireland. Recent theatre includes Richard II at the Old Vic, The Quare Fella at the Tricycle, Port Authority at the Everyman Liverpool, A Whistle in the Dark at the Citizens Theatre, Glasgow. TV includes The Inspector Lynley Mysteries, Absolutely Fabulous, Birds of a Feather, Doctors and The Bill; and Matthew Dunphy who is currently playing the part of Philip Clandon in Sir Peter Hall’s production of You Never Can Tell at the Garrick Theatre. Other recent theatre includes The Quare Fella, directed by Kathy Burke, and Port Authority for the Liverpool Everyman, directed by Matthew Dunster. Matthew has also worked in Dublin at the Abbey, Gate and Ark Theatres. He has recently appeared in Macbeth as part of the BBC’s Shakespeare Retold series on BBC2.
