Eoghan Rua Finn has written a trilogy of new plays called The Blackstairs Trilogy, which are set during Ireland’s turbulent revolutionary years. They will be staged in Wexford next month.
A BRAND new trilogy of plays, telling the story of Wexford people during the revolutionary period from 1916 to post Civil War Ireland, will be staged next month at the Athenaeum in Enniscorthy and Wexford Arts Centre.
‘The Blackstairs Trilogy’ is written by award-winning playwright Eoghan Rua Finn and features the one-act plays: ‘Volunteer’, ‘The Wringing’ and ‘Come along the Road until You Stop Dead’. It will be produced by Wexford’s newest drama group, Raven Theatre.
Both ‘Volunteer’ and ‘The Wringing’ will premier as part of the production.
Eoghan Rua Finn is 28 years old and was born in Dublin to Wexford parents. He has lived in Wexford for most of the past seventeen years, and has been writing plays since his early 20s.
The trilogy tells three stories about characters trying to come to terms with themselves at different crisis points in their own lives, during crisis points in the life of the country: the Easter Rising, the War of Independence, and the Civil War. These events, during which the country is in upheaval, mirror in different ways the personal upheaval at the centre of each play.
‘Volunteer’ tells the story of a WWI veteran, ostracised by his community on returning home from fighting in Europe. On the eve of the Easter Rising in Enniscorthy, he is offered a final chance of redemption. The play is directed by Heather Hadrill.
‘The Wringing’ tells the story of a young Wexford man who has run away to Dublin during the War of Independence. He is faced with the reality of warfare during a late-night encounter with an enigmatic clock maker. It will be directed by Dominic Palmer and Colum Kavanagh.
Finally, ‘Come Along The Road Until You Stop Dead’ rounds off the trilogy as two men from opposing sides of the Civil War meet in the middle of the night to settle old scores. The play is directed by Anna Hayes.
‘The Blackstairs Trilogy’ will open in Enniscorthy’s Athenaeum Theatre on April 16. It will be performed the following weekend at Wexford Arts Centre on April 21, 22, 23 and 24. Tickets are on sale now for the Arts Centre dates.
The production has been backed by the Wexford County Council 1916 Commemoration Local Grants Scheme.
[Full story in this week’s Echo]