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Still, The Blackbird Sings

Incidents at Ebrington Barracks

OVERVIEW

  • Playwright

    Dave Duggan 

  • Setting

    Ebrington Barracks in Derry, 1916.

  • Synopsis

    Francis Ledwidge was an Irish patriot and Nationalist, killed in action during World War I. This play finds him and his squad members facing the question in barracks: why return to the front when we have already survived three campaigns? Can we trick death again? Should we desert? Why would an Irishman join the British Army and can there be poetry in the midst of war?

  • Play Type

    Plays General

    Number Of Acts

    Full-Length

  • Cast Size Male

    7

  • Cast Size Female

    1

  • Cast Notes

    Cast doubling required. In the original production, the part of Private Boylan was played by a female actor who also took the part of Rosie Friel. The production also featured a drummer

Original Production

  • Date of First Production

    25 February 2010

  • Producer

    Produced by The Playhouse

  • Original Venue

    The Playhouse

  • Venue Notes

    The production subsequently went on tour to venues in Belfast, Dublin and Ballybofey, finishing up with a run of performances on the site of Ebrington Barracks itself.

Original Cast  
Private Cadden Conan Sweeny
Lord Dunsany Conan Sweeny
Private McLaren Packy Lee
Private Gamble Colm Gormley
Major Willock Colm Gormley
Lance Corporal Ledwidge Mark Fitzgerald
Private Boylan Doireann McKenna
Rosie Friel Doireann McKenna
Production Team  
Director CaitrĂ­ona McLaughlin
Set Designer Sarah Bacon
Producer Jonathan Burgess
Lighting Designer Sarah Jane Shiels
Costume Designer Helen Quigley
Sound Designer Bertram Knappitsch
Drummer Arthur Oliver-Brown
Stage Manager Arthur Oliver-Brown
Poster Designer John McCandless
Public Relations Thursday's Child

Unpublished Scripts

Rights Information

  • Territory

    All Territories

  • Rights Type

    All Rights

  • Contact

    Dave Duggan

  • Address

    Republic of Ireland

  • Email

    dave.duggan@talk21.com

Source Of Information

The information for this entry was taken from the original production programme.