Opera Workshop’s Banned celebrates the life and work of Kate O’Brien

The new Opera Workshop work-in-progress, Banned celebrates the life of Kate O’Brien. Fiona Linnane pictured at rehearsals. C O Rorke

Opera Workshop presents Banned, an opera-in-progress celebrating the life of Kate O’Brien on Tuesday, December 3

A new opera-in-progress from Limerick’s contemporary opera production company, Opera Workshop.

2024 is the 50th anniversary of the death of Limerick writer Kate O’Brien.  On the 3rd December, her birthday, you are invited to celebrate the life and work of this remarkable Limerick woman with Opera Workshop.

A renowned playwright, journalist and novelist with a distinguished career, Kate O’Brien’s work was regularly banned both by the Irish censors and by Franco in Spain.  

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Following their fantastic success with The Ballybruff Trilogy by Luke Byrne and Shirley Keane in May, Opera Workshop are delighted to return to the Belltable for one night, offering their ever growing audience a look behind the scenes as it were, of this new opera-in-progress.

A fan of Kate O’Brien, composer Fiona Linnane has worked with Limerick poet Mary Coll on a cycle of songs over a number of years, The Songs of Kate O’Brien.  The singers will share a a number of these songs as part of the evening at the Belltable on 3rd of December too.  

Banned takes a new direction, looking to the life of O’Brien from her success as a playwright in London in 1926 to her many award winning novels and not least to O’Brien’s bravery and resolution in the face of censorship by the Irish and Spanish governments.

Linnane is delighted to work again with Opera Workshop noting, “it is always such a joy to work  with Shirley Keane and the wonderful and talented team of singers and writers who come together at Opera Workshop.  Through sharing ideas, improvising and encouraging each other we all feel connected to the work.  This was so inspiring in my short opera ‘Abandoned’ and in the site -specific work, ‘No 2 Pery Square.”

Shirley Keane, Artistic Director and founder of Opera Workshop adds,  ‘Fiona Linnane and I  both love the work of Kate O’Brien.  She is a writer we revere and for who we have the utmost respect.  We began with meetings and research in early 2024, working with limerick writer Ann Blake, singer Lorraine Galvin and actor Kathy Rose O’Brien.  This is a wonderful chance for Limerick audiences to catch an opera work in its early form and see it develop.   The first four scenes from that work will be performed by members of the Opera Workshop Ensemble including Limerick singers sopranos Sarah Dolan, and Lorraine Galvin; bass baritone Kevin Neville and returning to perfrom with Opera Workshop again,  from Dublin Raphaela Mangan, mezzo-soprano and pianist Aoife Moran.

The audience will also have the chance to chat with the creative team, Ann Blake, Lorraine Galvin, Fiona Linnane and Shirley Keane, to hear about the process to date and plans for the next steps in developing a new Limerick Opera.

Tickets are free for this short event, but booking essential at Lime Tree box office.