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Gate Theatre’s first streamed production is world premiere of The Visiting Hour by Frank McGuinness 

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Gate Theatre’s first streamed production is world premiere of The Visiting Hour by Frank McGuinness 

By I Love Limerick Correspondent Jade Crowe 

A new play by Frank McGuinness will have its world premiere streamed from the Gate auditorium next month.    

The Visiting Hour, directed by Caitríona McLaughlin was written by Frank McGuinness during the lockdown. Due to current circumstances, the play will take place virtually and will be streamed to audiences from April 22 – April 24 from the Gate Auditorium. 


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The poignant, never seen before play takes place inside a nursing home during visiting hour and is set during the pandemic. The play features a father figure, (Stephen Rea) along with his daughter (Judith Roddy). 

The play observes an exchange between a daughter and her elderly father as she visits him in his nursing home during the Covid Pandemic. The pair conversate and take on memories of the past, however, the past can be a dangerous topic and can be very different depending on who is telling the story.  

‘Gate At Home’ is a new artistic initiative that has been taken on by the Gate Theatre. ‘Gate at Home’ will involve productions streamed from the Gate Creative Studio re-creating a unique and distinctive performance experience viewable from home.   

Selina Cartmell, Gate Theatre Director said “I am thrilled to bring this dynamic creative team together for our first ‘Gate At Home’ production. The Gate team have worked so hard to make this production happen, despite the ongoing financial challenges of the pandemic. With the welcome government investment of our vital Arts Council funding, last month we were able to announce the Gate Creative Studio, the Gate Masterclasses, and a series of commissions for Irish writers and theatre companies. Now we are especially grateful to bring theatre production back to the Gate in 2021.”   

 

Frank McGuinness   

Frank McGuinness has produced many extraordinary plays around the world, including The Factory Girls, Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme, Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me and Dolly West’s Kitchen. Productions of his plays at the Gate include Innocence (1986) and The Bread Man (1990). Adaptions include Peer Gynt by Henrik Ibsen (1988), Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov (1990) and The Threepenny Opera by Bertold Brecht (1991).   

His play ‘Gates of Gold’ (2002), commissioned by the Gate, was a work of fiction inspired by the lives of Gate founders Hilton Edwards and Michael MacLiammoir.    

The Set and Costume Design of the ‘Visiting Hour’ is by Katie Davenport with Lighting Design by Paul Keogan and Sound and Composition by Tom Lane.   

Several tickets can be purchased for the event including a €15 concession ticket, a €25 standard ticket, a €40 household ticket and a €50 support the Gate ticket.   

The total running time of the play is 60 minutes, and a captioned version of the production will be streamed on April 23rd.   

 
To buy tickets for the event go HERE

For more stories on the Gate Theatre go HERE 

 

Richard is a presenter, producer, songwriter and actor. He was named the Limerick Person of the Year (2011) and won an online award at the Metro Éireann Media and Multicultural Awards (2011) for promoting multi-culturalism online. Richard says that the ilovelimerick.com concept is very much a community driven project that aims to document life in Limerick. So, that in 20 years time people can look back and remember the events that were making the headlines.