Bottom Dog Theatre celebrate John Murphy’s legacy with Four Pulitzer Plays

Bottom Dog Theatre celebrate John Murphy’s legacy with Four Pulitzer Plays. Pictured are Myle Breen, Liam O’Brien, and Mike Burke of Bottom Dog Theatre.

Bottom Dog Theatre Company return to Limerick’s No.1 Pery Square Hotel this September, with four of their much-loved rehearsed readings every Sunday at 8pm

Beginning in 2009, Bottom Dog Theatre Company’s yearly series of play readings was an annual fixture in Limerick’s artistic calendar until a lack of funding saw their decline. Their last outing amidst COVID restrictions in late 2020 was FOUR PARTY PLAYS.

It’s a bittersweet return to the readings, which have been planned since earlier this year, as Bottom Dog lost their dear friend and colleague John Murphy who was last seen performing on stage in ‘The Party’ by Jane Arden, directed by Tara Doolan as part of the FOUR PARTY PLAYS readings.

A founder member of Island Theatre Company in 1988, and a firm fixture as front-of-house manager at Belltable and Lime Tree theatres in more recent times, the arts community came together as a whole to mourn his tragic passing last week at his memorial service on August 26th.

advertisement
advertisement

advertisement
advertisement

advertisement
advertisement

Bottom Dog producer, Myles Breen said, “We were struggling to know whether to go forward on this series so recently after John’s passing, but we thought in some way creating these opportunities for actor and audience alike to experience these rarely staged award-winning plays, seemed fitting.

“John directed many of our readings, most memorably Journey’s End which he was so passionate about – we’d tried to get project funding to stage it fully over the years – but as an actor he was always involved too. He was in our first ever reading MEDEA in 2009, our last series in 2020, and 10 more in between, we’re just heartbroken we won’t get to drag him out of ‘retirement’ again this time.”

The reason Bottom Dog are returning to the readings was kicked off with a local grant application under the arts earlier in the year, and having received it, they knew it wasn’t enough for the whole series but it gave them the push to find more.

The group then managed to secure more substantial funding from the pilot Limerick night time economy scheme, an ideal fit for their Sunday evening entertainment and it was now becoming possible.

To stage all four readings however – and employ all 20+ actors, directors and crew involved – meant more was needed and thankfully local businesses have come in to bridge the gap.

Bottom Dog producer Liam O’Brien noted Patricia Roberts and No.1 Pery Square has been the group’s “main supporter” over the years, adding that the location is “the ideal, elegant setting for a Sunday night reading and a social gathering”.

Liam noted the support from the council including the nationally funded Night Time Economy Pilot scheme, expressing gratitude to “Ashlene Reyburn, Eileen and the arts and tourism team at the council”.

The Bottom Dog Producer pointed to the support from local businesses who helped bridge the funding, including Sadlier’s Fish and Poultry, and Scanlon’s Pharmacy.

He said, “It’s so wonderful to see business leaders in the city row in behind the arts, and particularly those like us at grassroots level without core funding, to ensure a diverse programme of events continue across the city, and artists at every stage of their careers get paid opportunities in Limerick.

“We’re at the start of an interesting opportunity for arts and business coming together to both invest in their community, and enjoy the benefits and indeed entertainment they’ve enable created locally.”

Bottom Dog, who were awarded civic honours by Limerick Council in 2016 for their contribution to arts and role as cultural ambassadors for the city, have been producing new and dynamic work in the city for 15 years this year.

In 2022, the company staged the world premiere of Gravity (A Love Story) by Neil Flynn, and directed by multi award-winning director Conall Morrison at Belltable through project funding by the national Arts Council.

To date the company has staged 15 productions, 9 nationwide tours, staged 49 public play readings, played to over 35000 people and employed hundreds of actors, creatives and crew – creating opportunities for professional artists from the city to not only showcase their work, but to develop and thrive on the local, national and international stage.

Liam O’Brien took the time to speak about Bottom Dog Theatre’s late friend, John Murphy, he said, “It’s important to come back to our dear friend John Murphy on this. I first worked with John when I was 18 on my first professional play Borrowed Robes, with Terry Devlin at Island Theatre Company. He was a mentor, a colleague but in the truest sense a real friend. Rarely did a week go by without a coffee or chat over the last 26 years.

“He was beyond passionate about theatre in Limerick, but at the most basic level he just wanted ‘the work to be good’ and in his words ‘to occasionally get paid’. Thanks to our funders and sponsors for Four Pulitzer Plays we can do the latter. In his honour, we’re going to get back to work to do the former.”

The theme as mentioned by Liam, are all great American dramas that have won the esteemed Pulitzer Prize, established in 1917 by the will and estate of Hungarian-American politician and newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer.

Plays include on September 8, The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds by Paul Zindel, directed by Shane Hickey-O’Mara; on September 15, Wit by Margaret Edson, directed by Eloise Hickey; on September 22, Seascape by Edward Albee, directed by Myles Breen; and their final reading to be announced shortly, and staged on Sunday, September 29.