Judith Roddy And A Particular Dread

The actress discusses her role in the Lyric Theatre's production of Pentecost

Last year, Derry-Londonderry born actress Judith Roddy found herself at a Q and A film director Danny Boyle was giving for young, aspiring film students at the Foyle Film Festival. How, one student wondered, did Boyle get where he is? How did he get his break?

Boyle told the student that the error of striving for success lay in "wanting to get away". He advised him to write and direct about the places and people he knew: who you are and where you're from, he said, is your strength, and you bring it with you. Anyone can aspire to a different life, but the richest life arises from embracing your roots.

That was how Roddy felt about her home town, and it is how she feels still.

And soon, the experienced young actress, who stood out in the premiere of Sam Shepard's A Particle Of Dread at the Playhouse Theatre last year, will be joining the cast of said play for its US Premiere in New York from this Sunday, October 19, onwards. But for now, she is enjoying – or should that be "enduring"? – another particular dread in Stewart Parker's Pentecost, currently in the final week of a one-month run at Belfast's Lyric Theatre.

The production has received praise from all corners, this website describing it as "a remarkable achievement – intelligent without being impertinent, driven without being didactic". Roddy herself was attracted to the production because of its late writer: "(Parker) was razor sharp and eloquent. His work, particularly this play, holds a mirror to both us and our times. His characters are striking, but they can melt you with humour."

Pentecost especially resonates with Roddy because she is from Northern Ireland yet rarely gets the opportunity to work in these parts. It is the first play she has starred in at the Lyric. Like A Particle Of Dread, there's a contained foreboding energy in Pentecost that penetrates a confined space: both plays feel like memory pieces, recollections of strange haunted histories.

But Roddy also finds beauty and challenge in the language of Pentecost: claustrophobia sets the scene from the outset, ensuring that focus is in textual inhabitation.

"There's directness and honesty here like no other in the north, but also terrific buoyancy", she says. "The text has to be lived in, but not leaned on. Parker has done the work; lightness of touch on the actors' part is the challenge."

Roddy has often been cast in very physical roles on stage. Prior to Pentecost, she played Susie Monican in the National Theatre's production of The Silver Tassie, who was a big presence in a cast of twenty-two. The role of Marian, who functions as some sort of "leader of the pack" in a party of five – four people, and one ghost – appears no different, both roles giving Roddy a welcome opportunity to "score" their physicality, like music. "The 'score' here lies in the arc of the play, with Parker setting up moments and breaking them with laughter in the same beat. I love it."

When rehearsing, Roddy found it impossible to ignore Marian's strength, practicality and sense of humour, but ultimately, what all those things were masking in her. Portraying the character's stern but open exterior was paramount. "If, as an actor, I choose to play her as damaged or neurotic, I've nowhere to go. I chose a more difficult path, because while there might be little sympathy for her, the payoff is undeniably better: she reveals her very core as the play unravels. It feels more truthful to me, and most important.”

Yet despite the undeniably unifying bond that forms among the four human characters, no bond seems more significant than that between Marian and the ghost of Lily, the previous owner of a house Marian is now trying to habitate. Both, it would appear, have more in common with one another than either would like to admit, and Roddy sees this bond as essential: two characters united by a shared loss.

"Without the connection, Marian would never reveal herself, and Lily would never tell her story. It creates moments of stillness in the play. The audience can see a tangible character going through a crisis, and another character reliving her past and a haunted presence."

It's an indisputably downcast tone that Pentecost presents, one that represents much collapse: in characters, society and religion. But Roddy sees a less downbeat message, one in which Marian ceases to bite her own wounds and the characters come to accept and make peace with themselves.

"Pentecost is a play about history. It speaks of the past through the present in the characters and looks to the future. The resolved cadence in the piece is very tricky, but magical. The lights may literally be off in the play, but there's brightness in its future."

And there's brightness in Roddy's future as she prepares to set off for an experience like no other on Broadway. "I'll be there until the New Year, and possibly longer. It's an exciting time. The nieces and nephews better improve their Skype skills or they won't get any Christmas presents!"

Pentecost runs at Belfast's Lyric Theatre until Saturday October 18. Read more...

Rhys Dunlop And Lauren Coe: Punk Rockers

The stars of Simon Stephens' Punk Rock on their characters, their experiences and the meaning behind the play

Meet William Carlisle, a painfully shy and bright seventeen-year-old boy with something of a "God" complex. He genuinely thinks he's better than everyone else in his Stockport school. An awkward, over-compensatory, nervous, kind, funny and unpredictable soul, William's world will be turned upside down when he falls for new arrival Lilly Cahill from Cambridge.

Lilly herself is far from nervous, but eager to please. She has moved around a lot and finds her new surroundings very welcome. On the outside, Lilly is worldly, cocky, streetwise, opinionated and superior, but inside she hides neediness, loneliness and emotional insecurity. And her very arrival will be the catalyst for the central chain of events in Simon Stephens' Punk Rock.

For almost a month, Belfast's Lyric Theatre has played host to the trials and misadventures of seven confused teenagers at Stockport Grammar School. The tension between William and Lilly, brought to life by Rhys Dunlop and Lauren Coe on their stage debuts, is the nucleus of the play.

Dunlop & Coe, both graduates of The Lir, Ireland's National Academy Of Dramatic Art in Dublin, speak to Si's Sights And Sounds about their roles in and experience of making Punk Rock.

What does Punk Rock mean to you in the context of this play? Personally, I see it as representative not so much of the music, but of the personality that goes into the music; the flip side of good vibrations and teenage kicks.

Rhys Dunlop (William): I agree completely. The children in the play are by no means "punks" but rather share the energy that the music lends itself to. It charges the scenes and play accordingly.

Lauren Coe (Lilly): Definitely. To me, it means anarchy, rebellion, the constant struggle against authority, which is often the main cause of a violent undercurrent in teenagers. It's in these characters' every attitude, vocabulary and the way in which they wear their uniforms. They're trying to carve out an identity for themselves in a world of adults who either show little interest or far too much.

Dunlop: Simon Stephens, the writer, inserted songs into the script for the top of each scene, which really do give a unique dynamic to what follows them. He said he wanted to give audiences the feel of being at a rock concert, and I believe the explosive energy of the music between scenes helps to achieve that.

Coe: Punk Rock is also hugely about hormones. Sex and lust are massive themes within the play, to the point where pent-up desire is almost unbearable, and the action of sex provides some sort of animalistic release from the systems of emotional instability.

How did you decide to approach playing your characters?

Dunlop: Because, to me, the play's text is so good, I found that if you just trust the language and punctuation, then the character takes care of itself. It is often said that character is as character does, or says. I think that rings true for William in Punk Rock.

Coe: Lilly has never had a place to call home, therefore she has no reference point for her identity. So she has created a shield of bravado around her, to feel protected. At one point, she reveals to William that she cuts and burns herself; I spent a bit of time on self-harm forums as research, to get an understanding of the self-harmer's psyche.

But what I found really interesting was that a lot of sufferers said their self-harm wasn't an attempt at suicide, but a way of dealing with emotional pain: coping and surviving. To me, Lilly is a survivor. The animals she uses to describe herself in the play – a wolf, a leopard, a rhinoceros, a gazelle, a cheetah, an eagle and a snake – are all predatory. They survive because they are clever, strong and ferocious, just like her.

Dunlop: Of course, there are also a number of technical obligations regarding preparation; dialect, back story, social & cultural context, to name but a few. Thankfully we explored a lot of this in the rehearsal room. (Director) Selina Cartmell invested a lot of time in creating the world of the play together as an ensemble and sharing our research materials with the group. We also worked with dialect coach Brendan Gunn right from the start of rehearsals, which was massively important.

How do you view the compelling dynamic between William and Lilly in Simon Stephens' script? Having seen and reviewed the play myself (read the review here), I'm convinced that one would struggle to get by without the other...

Dunlop: I think they are very similar in many ways, despite their possible diametric opposition on the social ladder. They see the world through the same frame. William finds an equal in Lilly, someone worthy of his presence, conversation and indeed life. I mean that in a marital sense as opposed to a sacrificial one.

Coe: In the rehearsal process, Selina Cartmell talked a lot about the idea of matter versus antimatter. She asked, were our characters matter (positive) or antimatter (negative)? Lilly knows that William is, in many ways, part of the same "antimatter" tribe as her; explosive and dangerous. He notices her scars. They understand each other within the "academic zoo" of Stockport Grammar School. They both have a contempt for the mainstream and they feed off each other, and need this connection to validate themselves. They are two dangerous energies, and when they collide, it detonates and causes a tragic outcome.

Dunlop: Lilly is the catalyst for all that happens in the play, the kerosene that sets William's journey alight and ultimately causes it to burn out of control. You're right, they do struggle to get by without the other, or at least William does, further evidenced in the play.

Coe: I think Lilly knows she's playing with fire with William. She knows he really likes her, but she can't resist feeding the flame because her own desperate need to feel wanted makes her ask for more. Her flirtations are overt, so it's no wonder that William builds up the confidence to ask her out, thinking she'll say yes.

But, of course, it's not all about William and Lilly. There are five more characters in this Stockport Breakfast Club – bully Bennett, cynical Cissy, sporty Nicholas, idealistic Tanya, and extremely geeky Chadwick. How do you think your characters perceive them?

Dunlop: Intellectually, William acknowledges Chadwick's brilliance, and he is indeed a friend. However, he still positions himself above Chadwick in his head, due to his social background. I think William hates Nicholas, because he's probably everything William wants to be: athletic, good looking and charming, with the power and social position to step in and stop the bullying in the play. William admires and is jealous of the relationship that Cissy and Bennett have. He wants a girlfriend; if he has one, he believes that he will be seen as the alpha male of the group, not Bennett.

Coe: Like William, Lilly has a superiority complex. She seems to have something to say about everyone; she tends to be judgmental. After being at the school for merely a week, she's not entirely sure she trusts Chadwick, nor likes him: "He's not normal". She also says Bennett does her head in, and I don't think she's alone there! But I think that when Bennett becomes increasingly cruel to Chadwick, Lilly feels really bad about judging Chadwick so quickly. She's very contradictory, which makes her a very truthful teenager and really enjoyable to play.

Dunlop: As William free falls through the play, I think he is trying to make his mind up about how he perceives everyone else. He gravitates to and from them all at different points in the play, suggesting a dissociation with the group and arguably society.

Coe: I think Lilly's relationship with the other girls is an interesting one. They have a laugh, but I don't think she would be friends with either of them without the other. Neither of the two girls are exactly Lilly's type of person: Cissy is a girly girl, very bitchy, and Tanya's a bit hyperactive, though I think Lilly admires her kindness. Lilly has a strong sexual chemistry with and physical attraction to Nicholas... in my opinion, Nicholas's level-headedness and normality provide Lilly with positivity, a respite from her own mental health issues.

How challenging have both of you found this, your stage debut?

Dunlop: Massively challenging and equally rewarding. I've been so lucky to work on such an amazing character with and an incredible company. Long may it continue!

Coe: A fantastic experience. It's been really comforting to work with two of my peers from drama college and a cast of other people from our age group. We've had a lot of fun together and I'll miss them a lot. I guess the biggest challenge is the length of the run, and the size of the theatre – you need a massive amount of stamina! Lilly's a very complex creature as well, so there was a lot of problem solving along the way too.

Are you pleased with the reception so far, both from audiences and critics?

Dunlop: It's been great that the play has been received so well. I think this is a really exciting piece of work and fearless programming from Jimmy Fay. I just hope that it gets supported by good houses so that we can earn and ultimately expect new, bold and exciting work like this from now on.

Coe: Responses have been incredible. The play really seems to blast a hole in the centre of people, which I'm sure was Simon Stephens' intent. We've had very vocal audiences too – lots of laughter, applause in random places and even a few "Oh God" cries!

Contemporary theatre is so important to me, as I believe theatre should always be reflecting the present day real world. Hopefully Punk Rock will be a step towards more new writing being programmed in Irish theatres, and drawing new, younger audiences.

Punk Rock runs in Belfast's Lyric Theatre until Saturday September 6 2014, with a special performance featuring a post-show discussion with writer Simon Stephens on Thursday September 4. Read more...

Raymond Sweeney and Titanic Dance

Irish choreographer brings the tale of the HMS Titanic to life in a world dance premiere in Belfast and Derry-Londonderry

Raymond Sweeney has an extensive background in dance. Born in Drumkeen, Co. Donegal, he has been dancing since his first foray into the Terri Lafferty School Of Dancing at the age of nine. Titles and medals all over Ireland, Britain and the world followed before he became a professional at age 16 with Michael Flatley's own Lord Of The Dance.

Six and a half years in this prestigious production both included and preceded more worldwide touring for Sweeney and his proverbial feet of flames (also the title of his first ever professional dance performance, in London Hyde Park).

Today, Sweeney resides in Co. Donegal with girlfriend Louise Hayden. Both have their eyes on a new kind of dance: and it's about a certain ship.

Once upon a time, it was claimed, by film critic Tom Shone in particular, that James Cameron created a "magnificent romance" seventeen years ago - has it really been that long? - but the true "romance" was between Cameron and the infamous HMS Titanic. As if the amount of energy invested by the director into creating a brand new hunk of metal, letting it sail and then sinking it was much more significant to Cameron than any of the characters in it. (And in retrospect, it still seems so.)

When Titanic Dance makes its World Premiere at Belfast's Odyssey Arena this Saturday and at Derry-Londonderry's Millennium Forum this Sunday, the focus will be on a new kind of romance: merging dance and the story.

"I couldn't believe no one had thought of telling the story that way before", Sweeney says. "Maybe they just didn't know how to fit the numerous intricacies of the Titanic story - the shovelling of coal, the different classes, the sinking and so on - through dance."

It all began over a meeting with two Derry-Londonderry-based friends, Sean McAnaney and Kevin Toland. What, they wondered, was the best tourist attraction around? Especially in Belfast? Titanic, of course. The area on the east bank of the River Lagan formerly known as Queen's Island has enjoyed a surge in popularity since an already relatively iconic exhibition building opened there two years ago. And Titanic, in McAnaney's words, was also very popular in China.

Won over by Titanic's worldwide appeal, ideas turned to choreography in the hands of Sweeney, Hayden and an old friend from Lord Of The Dance, James Keegan. Words and expressions have become rhythm and movement. But it hasn't all been plain sailing.

"At the start, we thought we'd be better off with some basic chorus steps. But matching music with dance, and dance with music, and trying to choreograph at the same time felt problematic."

So Sweeney, Hayden, Keegan and company will be handling the Titanic story through a mixture of elements - projection, costumes and real facts will merge with both music and dance as the company set out to provide a learning curve for viewers. It will be a case of sticking with the gist of the James Cameron film - in Sweeney's words, it's hard to deny the appeal of first-class girl meeting third-class boy - while approaching certain things, particularly the ending, somewhat differently.

"We're telling our story in an easy-to-follow manner, differentiating classes through light, colour, costumes and music. There'll be a mixture of Irish dancing styles and four sung numbers on show."

Such an approach has already worked very well in recent workshop performances in Letterkenny, which have brought standing ovations from audiences at the town's An Grainan Theatre.

Sweeney is rightfully optimistic about similar reactions in Northern Ireland's largest cities. "I don't think anyone has been more fascinated by Titanic since the release (of the 1997 film)", he says. And I can personally vouch for that, having begun to read illustrated histories of the ship and testimonies from survivors in the immediate aftermath of the film. But how does Sweeney feel, overall, about translating this fascination to the stage?

"Telling this story, a story with so many possibilities, in the form of dance is both exciting and unique. But it's not just about the dance - it's about projecting a whole spectrum of emotions through music too. We feel like we've created something that's not just your everyday Irish dance, but has a universal appeal."

Here's hoping that, unlike its historical inspiration, Titanic Dance stays afloat.

The World Premiere of Titanic Dance takes place in the Odyssey Arena on Saturday May 10 and Derry-Londonderry's Millennium Forum on Sunday May 11. For more information, click here. Read more...

TALK REVIEW: Eamon Dunphy

The "original contrary journalist" surprises and entertains Belfast's Black Box with his affable, humorous frankness

He is described as a "firebrand", a "troublemaker", an "agitator" and an "attention-seeking freak" but he has also been seen as the most “entertaining, blindingly brilliant pundit of all time”. I’m talking about Eamon Dunphy, of course, the failed second (not third – make sure you get it right!) division footballer who, by his own admission, "wasn't much of a footballer", but strove to get into journalism, and succeeded.

The amiable company of Jackie Fullerton, the genial amusement of an appreciative crowd and the comforting surroundings of Belfast's Black Box enable Dunphy to relax, his strong awareness of both self and audience coming to the fore throughout this talk.

Knowing that his fans will be all too aware of his most well-known views, he wisely does not overly regurgitate Dunphy the writer or Dunphy the begrudger, instead presenting Dunphy the person – pointed, but affable and surprisingly human. It is the way he comes across and not necessarily what he says that will be most remembered by the audience, and he knows it, presenting himself in the best way he can. For the most part, anyway.

Throughout the talk, Dunphy apparently re-enforces his "brand" for all to see, which, in this writer's view, is hardly a brand, but a skill that is rarer than you think. He specializes in incisively unveiling the cynical underbelly of Modern Ireland's Heroic Narratives: including, but not limited, to the swimmer who emerged from nowhere to become Ireland's Golden Girl in Atlanta in 1996, Ireland's first woman President, and, of course, Jackie's Army. Who, for example, wants to remember that for all their success in reaching the World Cup quarter-finals more than two decades ago, the Irish national football team did not actually win a game?

It would be too easy to dismiss Dunphy, as the legendary Jack Charlton put it, as the "original contrary journalist (who) seemed to agree with nothing or nobody". If that was all Dunphy was, then would his words or revelations, as flawed and extreme as they can be, have provoked, inspired and edified to the extent they have? The pundit that enriches one's knowledge and entertains one’s soul is far more important than the pundit you simply agree with. Dunphy is the former, and he is all the better for it.

And, as the title of his recent autobiography hints, his journey to the top has been a Rocky Road: one in which he surely doubted he would even make it. It was more difficult, he reveals, to get an Irish international cap in the day when five "bank managers", the "blazers" of the Football Association of Ireland, picked the team and not the national manager. Worse still, as he puts it, "clubs didn't like us playing for the Republic of Ireland, so Johnny Giles made up excuses for not playing internationally."

With "cock ups everywhere (they) went", Dunphy's fiery reputation stood out when he "started agitating to get rid of the Big Five". He and the players who had threatened to go on strike if the manager didn't get full control of the team won the battle, but it came at a price: Dunphy was dropped and never played for Ireland again. It's what you might call Typical Dunphy: behind seemingly irrational madness lies both reason and substance.

"My environment gave me a certain resilience", he reveals. "We didn't have a TV (in the family); we had to go out and play, read books and newspapers. Kids don't go out on the street anymore, and soccer has declined as a result." A blunt indictment of our technologically dependent society, perhaps, but a necessary one, and an element of reflective sadness in an otherwise charged atmosphere.

A further slice of melancholy creeps into Dunphy's frank, slightly excruciating yet mostly amusing tales of a blessed yet troubled footballing genius. "George Best was actually a very shy and nice man who never said a bad word about women."

But what about Dunphy himself? When did he realise, as a footballer, that he wasn't good enough to "make it"?

"I never grew! And I knew, when I went to York City and reached my mid-twenties, that I wasn't strong enough to be a top player." At one point, he admits, when Tottenham Hotspur were reportedly interested in him, he was "dying" to go; but his manager at Millwall, Benny Fenton, told him he was going nowhere. It was, in his words, as close as he'd come to the big time. Yet, through such near-misses and "failures", a different kind of greatness can be attained: the writing and publication of his first memoir, Only A Game?.

He used to fancy coaching, but his reputation as a troublemaker didn't help. It has, to my mind, worked in his favour; being a manager would eliminate the almost entirely player-centric view that makes his punditry as good as it is. His ability to crack wise out of seemingly nothing remains undiminished; when commenting on the lack of English coaches, he knowingly laments: "They eliminated what you might call 'Officer Class' coaches, and promoted all the dumbos. Look at Big Sam (Allardyce)."

Typical Dunphy, again. Sensationalist, overtly blunt perhaps, but unexpectedly hilarious. And he's no less cutting on the "blandness" of contemporary punditry: "You should talk about football passionately. (Pundits) talk about what they really think amongst themselves, but when on TV, they go into dummy mode." Cue impressions of Alan Shearer and Mark Lawrenson that really bring the house down.

If Dunphy doesn't say much that we don't already know about Michel Platini and Jack Charlton – it was his views on both, after all, that made him notorious as a pundit – he remains, like John McEnroe, a literally serious presence. It's never dull in Dunphyville, and with Fullerton's calming presence helping to tone down the excessive emotionalism, the validity and value of his guest's words stand out.

Dunphy has plenty of time for his fans' questions, too; although you still suspect it might be better not to set him off on one of his rants. This firebrand may be mellower than he used to be, but it's apparent that making a provocative point, however extreme or downright wrong it can be, is still his game.

Fortunately, the atmosphere retains its general frivolity, and one leaves the Black Box both enriched and entertained. In a surprisingly pleasant manner, Dunphy pretty much proves writer Jared Browne's point that "he has made it, just not in the way anyone would have expected." Read more...

The McGetigans To A "Tea"

Two Irishmen wrote and sang about everyone's favourite caffeinated beverage, and it's become an online phenomenon. Si's Sights And Sounds finds out more about a "Tea Song" and its creators

It all began with two guys writing funny, yet overly honest, songs about everyday things.

Everyday things, that is, like "sexually frustrated old men and homosexual frogs" according to Kevin O'Brien of the McGetigans. Now, the Dublin troupe consists of six men doing "pretty much the same thing."

But did O'Brien and his mates – John Sweeney (aka "Sweeney Joe"), Barry O'Dwyer, Brian Murphy and Brendan Lawless – always want to be a comedy band? "A lot of our songs are considered comedy, but they never start that way", laughs O'Brien. "We just can't take ourselves seriously for more than five seconds!"

The McGetigans – named after a character in a play that O'Brien had been writing in his spare time – admit to have taken a leaf from the great Irish musicians who have played a good percentage of funny songs, like The Dubliners, The Clancy Brothers and Christy Moore, to name but a few. But they've never been strongly influenced by any mainstream comedians; to them, the "normal Irish people" who they see every day are far funnier than just about anyone on television. To put it even more succinctly, their just hoping to carry on an old Irish tradition – that of having "a bit of craic" with their music.

Not that it's been all milk and honey for the group. Two years ago, the release of their first EP pretty much fell flat.

"We sent CDs and badges out to every radio station we could think of, but we got no reply from any of them", O'Brien says. “They mustn't have liked it. I'd like to say that we have learned valuable lessons since then, but in truth, we are still as clueless as ever.  

"We fared better with the release of our last single, though, 'Son Love Your Neighbour'. It sparked a bit more interest, and led to us playing live on the John Murray Show."

I then ask O'Brien the big question: what on earth possessed them to write a song about tea?

"We love tea. And 'The Tea Song' wrote itself. The phrase 'I wouldn't say no to a cup of tea' was banging around in my head for ages. Before long, I'd put a verse together, and then I sat down with John and brainstormed the rest of the tune out. On the day the song was fully ready, we recorded ourselves playing it on my mother’s couch."

And thus was born a YouTube cult phenomenon, amassing nearly 20,000 hits to this day. But what has impressed O'Brien and Sweeney most of all is how varied the interest has been to their video.

They have received messages from "all walks of life". People have used the song on their own videos. Tea lovers have told the band that the song has become "the soundtrack to their lives". The song was re-recorded for the good cause of promoting a not-for-profit Kenyan tea company, Ajiri Tea. Most surprisingly of all, the people in charge of an English Language course in Germany asked if they could use "The Tea Song" as a learning tool... and of course, the band agreed.



But what do O'Brien and Sweeney sing about when they're not extolling the benefits of tea?

"Many of our non tea related songs are about John’s sexual exploits", O'Brien says. "You know, like failed conquests, erectile dysfunction and things women should not do with their fingers. We've also written songs about dancing with no pants on, female biology and moral advice."

With that in mind, what can we expect from The McGetigans in the future?

"We have this great communal dream of living in a huge mansion filled with hot groupies and a kettle in every room, where we can drink as much as we like and never grow old. A swimming pool and tennis court would be nice too. We've no idea how this dream could be realized, but it keeps us going!"

Of course, immortality has a price; but one senses that the McGetigans have already achieved some sort of cultural and musical immortality by singing about everyone's – well, almost everyone's – favourite drink. And who knows how far they can truly go?

The Tea Song will be launched as a single at the Cobblestone Bar in Dublin on August 3. For more information about The McGetigans, visit their official site at www.mcgetigans.com or check them out on Facebook. All photos courtesy of The McGetigans. Read more...

Worry Dolls Are Still LegenDerry

The London-based folk musicians still have a soft spot for Derry-Londonderry

Last month, Zoe Nicol (above, left) and Rosie Jones (above, right), aka Worry Dolls, were declared the winners of the "Are You Legenderry?" competition, beating nearly a hundred other performers to win a slot at Derry-Londonderry's Music City! celebrations on June 21.

Described by UK City Of Culture musician in residence Neil Cowley as "humorous and charming" folk songwriters with "sublime harmonies", the London-based duo have also released their first EP and featured at the Glastonbury festival this year.

We catch up with the duo in the aftermath of their recent successes.

How was your first visit to Northern Ireland, especially the City Of Culture 2013? What stood out for you most?

Rosie Jones: It was such a great experience. We used to live in Liverpool, and there were many similarities between there and Derry for me. The people were so welcoming and friendly; that always seems to be the case up north! Being there during the City Of Culture festivities made it even better, because the city was alive with music. There were buskers on every street corner. We absolutely love Ireland, because wherever you are, you're immersed in folk music.

It was only a shame that our stay was so brief; we saw the inside of the airport for nearly as long as the city itself!

So you'll definitely be coming back to Ireland again then?

Zoe Nicol: Yes! I am coming back for a holiday this year. Though really, I have always wanted to go back to Ireland since going there as a bump in my mum's stomach.

Jones: We hope so! We are planning to tour the UK in 2014, but we may have to set time aside for a separate Irish tour, so we can spend more time there.

Nicol: If anyone out there has ideas for venues we can play in, or just wants to be involved in our Irish tour, please get in touch!

How does it feel to have released your first EP and to have landed four shows at the Glastonbury festival?

Jones: Glastonbury was crazy. We played a show nearly every day and had such a great response. On the Sunday, we played a set after not having showered for a week! It's actually one of my favourite places in the whole world... I go every year.

Nicol: We're so happy to have the EP out there. It's fantastic to finally have a physical piece of work to represent us, and to top that off, we got to perform Glasto four times this year. We were hoping for at least one gig, so that was pretty good going.

How would you best describe your music and lyrics?

Nicol: Indie, folk and acoustic, with a comic twist.

Jones: We've been called both "quirky" and "witch-folk", which I quite like. Personally, I would say harmony-led quirky folk.

How do you feel you've developed as performers since you've started playing?

Nicol: We were already performers in our own right before Worry Dolls came to be. So I think the most interesting thing about us is how we have developed as a duo and grown as an act. Since the beginning of Worry Dolls, we have introduced new instruments to our set up, like banjo and mandolin, so I think that has added a lot to our overall sound and development.

Jones: Since I bought the stomp box, we've written more upbeat, foot stomping tunes. Our instruments definitely inspire us. In the last couple of years, our harmonies have become much tighter. Sometimes, we even feel like we can read each other's thoughts onstage; we often both make the same mistake at the same time!

In closing, what can post-Glastonbury audiences and beyond expect from Worry Dolls?

Jones: More noise. Bigger, louder things, and new songs.

Nicol: We are in the process of mixing our next EP. It's a very exciting project indeed, with lots of collaborations from good indie folk friends in London. We're planning to tour in 2014, record a debut album, and, of course, come back to Ireland on tour!

Check out the offical Worry Dolls site at www.worrydollsmusic.com. Read more...

Laura B Makes Her Mark

Si's Sights And Sounds chats to one of the latest singing-songwriting sensations to emerge from the Inishowen peninsula

At nineteen years of age, Greencastle-based singer songwriter Laura Bonner, better known as Laura B, is causing a bit of a stir in the North West music scene.

Since she started singing, playing guitar and gigging in 2010, Laura B has performed at the Greencastle Regatta, the Clipper Festival and the North By North West festival alongside rising stars Little Bear. Recently she performed in Dublin, firstly at Whelans Front Bar on Monday July 9, and then on Saturday July 13, for the Tumbleweed Sessions in The Cobblestone.

Her growing popularity has led to her featuring on local radio stations and websites, and she has also been ranked as No. 1 in the regional singer-songwriter chart on ReverbNation.

Today, she continues to sing and play on both sides of the border, mainly in Moville and Derry.

We chat to Laura B about her musical past, present and future.

Tell us how Laura B came to be.

It sort of started when I was fifteen, maybe sixteen, at my sister's 21st birthday. Her friend had left his guitar for a little sing song for when they came home from a nightclub. My friend Melissa and I borrowed it, and we messed about in my room, making up silly songs.

At the time I was terrible. I had never played a guitar before in my life. But I enjoyed it, and that's what motivated me to teach myself how to play properly. When my transition year came around, I really started to get more involved with music. I hadn't studied music in school before then, so I knew little about the theory or anything like that. But I always loved to sing, and in transition year, my guitar playing was much improved, so I was able to back my singing.

I was very shy and never played in front of anyone. Until, that is, I joined a music organisation called "The Up Scene" which was set up to help young musicians gain confidence and play gigs. They held a couple of showcases in the summer of 2010, and that set me on the right track. But it was mainly in December of last year that I began to write my own songs and become more of a performer.

Did you always have a strong ear for music? Was it something that passed down through the family, or was it just picked up naturally?

Well, my grandmother used to always make up little poems and sing to my family and me when we were younger, so her talents may have passed down to me!

After transition year, I took up music for my Leaving Cert, and worked really hard, as everyone else in my class had done music the whole way through school and had gotten guitar, piano and singing lessons. I, on the other hand, had not gotten any lessons, so I just taught myself. My music teacher, Miss McGrory, did say to me on a few occasions that she couldn't believe how quickly I was excelling in the subject in such a short space of time. To her, it was like a hidden natural talent. And I guess it did come naturally; it just made sense to me. I enjoyed it, I liked learning about it, and I got an A in my Leaving Cert which I'm still really proud of today.

Has living in the Inishowen peninsula inspired you, and why?

In a way. It's a nice and peaceful place to live, a good place for reflection, which helps when I write my songs. However, my music and lyrics are more emotionally driven than from a designated place.

What other artists/musicians do you draw inspiration from, and why is this so?

My main musical influences would be Heathers, Hudson Taylor, The Lumineers, Maroon 5, Mumford & Sons and SOAK. I enjoy their lyrics and the general feel of their songs, taking inspiration from their guitar playing and vocal techniques.

How would you describe your music and lyrics?

Deep, personal, solemn and witty, with ironically upbeat vocals and guitar.

You've made quite a name for yourself in Derry, the City Of Culture 2013. Tell us more...

Well, through being in Derry a lot this year, due to university, I’ve met a lot of talented singer-songwriters like Susie Blue and Jilly St John. I've learned a lot about all the different music opportunities and festivals that Northern Ireland has to offer, thanks to them. Hence I've begun to put myself out there and get known to a wider audience. It was also great to be part of the North By North West festival.

What does the future hold for Laura B?

I plan to record and release my EP this year, get my music out to larger audiences and play at bigger events and festivals. You can keep updated through my band page.



This is a slightly amended version of an interview which originally appeared in the Inish Times on July 9, 2013. Photos courtesy of GC Photographics. Read more...

Eoghan Johnston Plays It Right

The Shadowplay guitarist spills the beans on the band, their influences and the secret of their success

Since their formation in 2010, Shadowplay and their Inch-based lead guitarist Eoghan Johnston have attained a remarkable standard of musicianship.

They have headlined the Buncrana Music Festival with Toto's Bobby Kimball, won "one of Ireland’s greatest music prizes”, shared the stage with some of the biggest names in rock 'n' roll and have been named "the hottest emerging act in Ireland" by Hot Press Magazine.

In a recent interview with Hot Press, renowned music producer Chris Kimsey described their songs as "classics, written with soul and honesty" adding that the band's "musicianship is the corner stone to their success. They are part of what has been missing in song-writing, recording and performing."

Now they are putting together their debut album. We catch up with Johnston during the recording process.

Did you always want to be a musician?

I loved listening to music in the car when I was a kid. If my father was driving, I'd usually hear Thin Lizzy, and that was no bad thing! However, I hadn't much interest in playing back then. But when I was eleven, I began to pick out little melodies on the piano and found that I had an ear for it, though I'm still not much of a sight-reader. I then had a few years of piano lessons with Louise Doherty in Buncrana, and later Leonora Carney at NUIM (National University Of Maynooth).

I was about fifteen when I picked up the guitar. I think I had that dream of wanting to be in a big band when I was a teenager, like everyone else at that age! It was really only when we got the band together that I truly started to focus on it, though.

How did Shadowplay come to be?

The roots of Shadowplay can be traced back to 2009. I was studying Music at NUIM and was lucky enough to be surrounded by really talented musicians. Me and Andy (Dempsey, Shadowplay's lead vocalist and guitarist) began jamming together and discovered that we had some real musical chemistry. We had no trouble finding a drummer either; our first choice was Andy's cousin, Emmett Farrell, and he sounded spectacular. The first song we all jammed on was Marvin Gaye's "Let’s Get It On", funnily enough, and we all immediately saw that it was just there, whatever "it" is!

Which artists have influenced your songwriting and production style the most?

We're mainly influenced by legends such as The Beatles, Queen, Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones, and, on a more modern level, bands like Coldplay! I draw a lot of inspiration from guitarists like Jimi Hendrix, Rory Gallagher, Shawn Lane and Buckethead.

What have you learnt from both the recording process and performing live on stage?

Chiefly, that performing is almost always essential to the organic growth of new material. You can write in the studio, and it can sound great, but continuously performing always leads to improvements, sometimes accidentally! It can be quite frustrating if you record a song and then, after a few months of playing it, you realise you've made it sound much better.

What's the secret of your success?

The songs. It sounds simple, but that's what it is! Without getting into it too much, I think that if you’ve never heard music before, you wouldn't be able to write music, so it stands to reason that if you only listen to the best – like The Beatles, The Stones, classical music and so on – you’ll do your best to attain their standards, both consciously and subconsciously! I’m not saying that we’re writing at that standard, but we do try to. We aim high! Those sort of melodies are not only very musical, but they also have mass appeal, so it’s a good thing to aim for.

Which of your musical experiences to date has been the most enjoyable, and why?

By far, performing in Buncrana in 2011, with Bobby Kimball. We were at home, we were on a high, we were playing in front of six and a half thousand people and the weather was spectacular!

Any other rock stars you still dream of sharing the stage with, and why?

Stevie Wonder! He still has that beautiful child-like enthusiasm for music. It seems like it'd be a lot of fun to play with him. Glen Hansard would be another one, as would Guns 'N' Roses guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal. We’ve been talking and jamming a little with Thal over Skype for a couple of years and he's a really great musician. It's also been an ambition of mine to play on stage with the Stones, for obvious reasons... mainly, them being the Stones!

Last year, you signed a record deal with Shamrock Solutions, and you are now recording your debut album with Rolling Stones producer Chris Kimsey. Tell us more...

Things are going really well. Chris is just amazing in the studio. We were all well aware of Chris and his pedigree, so when we found out he wanted to work with us it was a big surprise! He's worked on, among other things, INXS, Yes, Rory Gallagher, Elton John and at least six Rolling Stones albums. He’s also produced some of my favourite Stones songs, so that was great for me on a personal level. We also did one session with Grammy-Award winning Irish producer Dave Odlum back in October in France. Dave did a really great job on the tracks, and with these two guys behind us, we're really looking forward to the result!

Any words of advice for fellow up-and-coming musicians in the peninsula?

It's all about the songs, and nothing else! People focus on too many other things – Twitter, Facebook, self-promotion, and so on. The result is that you become great at making websites and social networking but not at writing music. If you focus on songwriting, and have good songs, then you don't have to worry about the rest as much.

What does the future hold for Eoghan Johnston and Shadowplay?

More of the same, I hope! The album is pencilled in for late 2013, and we'll be releasing some new material and videos within the next couple of months. We'll also be doing some festivals, and we've been in talks with people overseas about some more exciting developments. Personally, I'm looking to do some more guitar teaching, recording and gigs in Buncrana.

This interview originally appeared in the Inish Times on June 11, 2013. Read more...

Laura Douglas Gets An Encore

The Musical Theatre Tutor chats to Si's Sights And Sounds about reprising her first proper lead in a musical – Maria from The Sound Of Music

During the Easter Break, Letterkenny's Encore Performing Arts Academy will perform at Strabane's Alley Theatre for the first time with a four-night run of The Sound Of Music. Encore PAA's musical theatre tutor, Magee College graduate Laura Douglas, will be playing the role of Maria Von Trapp for two nights.

We catch up with her in advance of the performances...

Was singing and acting always for you?

I didn't actually consider it until about 5th year in school! I can still remember when the careers advisors came in to discuss possibilities with our year, and telling the woman advising me that maybe, maybe, I wanted to go to drama school. Out came this huge book full of careers and where to train for them, and up went my hopes. Then, not long after she flung it open and began searching, she announced, "Here. Law. Lawyers act in court all the time."

Surely not the reaction you were expecting...?

Yeah, I doubted law was the career for me. So the "A"-Levels I chose were English, ICT, Performing Arts and French. In my final year, I played Aunt Eller in the school production of Oklahoma! – and that's when I realised I had to perform. But with no prior training, I decided to go to university and complete a degree in Drama with Music.

During that time period, I made my own opportunities to sing, act, direct and produce... Delving into other aspects of theatre was just terrific. And in final year I got my first proper lead in a musical – Maria in The Sound Of Music.

The same role you're playing this week!

Indeed! The first time I played Maria, it was with the Ballywillan Drama Group. It was an honour to work with such an established group, and as an aspiring performer, it felt brilliant to get an extended run. Ballywillan currently produce the longest running amateur shows. It all gave me a good idea about what "performing for real" is like!

How does it feel to be involved in The Sound Of Music?

It's just a great family show, and I love working with the groups of children playing the Von Trapps. You grow so close to everyone in this show because it's such an intimate production.

Have you ever drawn inspiration from any famous singers or actors when playing Maria?

I have seen the show performed professionally six times, both on tour and in the West End, and each time, Maria has been so different. When I play her, though I always try to put my own spin on her; it's such an iconic role, but it is nice to be able to play her the way I want. This time, I went into rehearsals already knowing the lines I would speak and sing; I feel my acting has come across as much freer and more spontaneous as a result. I'm also fortunate to be working with Rebecca Thompson, the producer, director and choreographer; being a performer herself, the unique insight she gives is invaluable.

What are you looking forward to most about this production?

Getting up there and performing alongside my little troop of Von Trapps! It is a really beautiful musical, and to me, nothing can beat the feeling of the nuns singing "Climb Every Mountain" in four-part harmony while the Von Trapps are on their way to a new life together. It’s extremely moving.

What kind of experience can the audience hope for?

A "family show", a classic musical for all ages, as The Sound Of Music always has been and always will be just that. But I think Rebecca's own spin on the show will make it even more fresh and exciting.

What does the future hold for Laura Douglas?

During my final year at university, I auditioned at two schools for Masters in Musical Theatre, and got into AMTA in London and AMDA in New York with a $10,000 scholarship. I am currently still auditioning. Watch this space...

Laura Douglas will play Maria in The Sound Of Music at Strabane's Alley Theatre on Wednesday April 3 and Thursday April 4, with the show running until Saturday April 6. To book your tickets, click here. Read more...

New Musical Is A "Faust" Of Fun For Sarah

Already a music tutor, pianist, musical director and member of a jazz quartet, Ballymena born Sarah Loughridge has gone one step further and written her own musical production. We went to find out more about the musical and its hugely talented composer

Sarah Loughridge doesn't believe that the thought of being a musician ever crossed her mind when she was a child. "I was one of those children who, from week to week, kept on changing their minds about what they wanted to be when they grew up. I went through phases, imagining myself as a vet, architect, teacher and so on. Never a musician."

Yet looking back, it seemed virtually inevitable that she would find herself at the keys. The piano keys, that is. We are, after all, talking to a young woman who has been playing piano, singing and performing since age five, and is currently working towards her Licentiate Diploma. More than that, she comes from a musical family; her father is a singer and her sisters are both accomplished pianists in addition to being a music teacher and a music therapist.

Her love and knowledge of different musical genres grew into what it is today through a rich and varied involvement with the choirs, orchestra, jazz bands and various music groups at her school. "My teachers often commented that if a subject wasn’t music related, it was of complete inconvenience to me!", laughs Loughridge.

"I owe a lot to Heather Montgomery", she says. "Throughout my seven years at Dalriada, she helped and encouraged me with all my musical endeavours, whether inside or outside of school. It was also her who put me and three other pupils together to form the Riada Dixie Jazz Quartet, and we performed every weekend in hotels and restaurants across the country. It was at this point, at the age of seventeen, that I felt that I could and should become a professional musician."

Everything escalated from there. Not long afterwards, in 2008, Loughridge moved to Derry-Londonderry to study music, and soon found herself filling in as accompanist and repetiteur for the university choir, accompanying many different singers over the next three years.

"One singer, Sophie Shiels, got me in touch with Derry-born actor, director, producer and all-round decent bloke Kieran Griffiths. Towards the end of my final year at Magee, he called me to ask if I'd like to be the musical director for a show I’d never heard of, with actors I'd never heard of – apparently, Peter Corry's a big deal? – and work with a director I'd never heard of. Naturally, I said yes!"

And so began a four-month period of hard work, many laughs and, on a personal level for Loughridge, a massive learning curve, all from performing the Northern Irish Premiere of Jason Robert Brown’s "The Last Five Years" in Derry’s Playhouse Theatre in September 2011. (Click here for our review.)

"I'd been involved in plenty of shows both on stage and off", Loughridge says, "but had never MD'd before, so to be able to pull off a show like that and get the reviews we did was a big achievement. However, like any industry, unless you're at the top of your game you can't just rely on one job to get you by. And in my case, I couldn't rely on performing alone. So I branched out into other areas like teaching, composing and more recently, piano tuning! Performing still plays a large part in my life though: I've just finished a two-year residency in the Everglades Hotel, and play drums and whistle in a ceilidh band made up of myself, my two sisters and my brother-in-law."

To Loughridge, musical theatre has been a passion of hers since she was involved in a school production of Les Miserables at fourteen. But back then, did she "dream a dream" of composing her own musical? Not quite yet.

"I always enjoyed composing, but it wasn't until after I graduated in 2011 that I started taking it more seriously. Since then, I have composed and arranged music for full orchestras, string quartets, jazz bands and choral groups."

It did take a little longer for the penny to drop with regards to composing her own musical, though. "I didn't have lot of work lined up towards the end of 2012, but was itching to do another show. So, liking a challenge, I decided to come up with my own, and I came across the story of Faust while researching different story lines. I was instantly intrigued by the character."

According to the author, Faust is the story of one man's struggle to achieve complete omniscience and how his actions affect the lives of those around him. While studying, Faust is confronted by the Devil who makes a pact with him with a range of consequences but ultimately all leading to Faust's demise. Because of Faust's selfish actions, we see the main female character Margaret imprisoned for drowning her baby, and Richard, Faust's closest friend and confidante, accused of several mysterious and brutal murders in the Whitechapel district of London.

"I've set Faust in 1880s London, which lends itself very easily to the same musical genres as the likes of Les Miserables, Phantom Of The Opera and Jekyll & Hyde... potential auditionees, take note, as that's exactly the type of audition song I'm looking for!" says Loughridge, smiling. "But back to the composition itself. And when it came to that, I knew exactly what I wanted, the aforementioned genres with some modern twists. Frank Wildhorn, who composed Jekyll & Hyde, was definitely a big influence but there's a lot of my own stamp in there too."

Loughridge adds that if anyone is expecting a comedy out of Faust, they'll be bitterly disappointed... but "assures" us that there will be comic relief in an otherwise "dark and tragic" tale. She is hoping that the show will have an impact on the audience, whether it is through the music, the love story between Faust and Margaret, or the fact that they may be "still trying to get their heads around the different consequences of the pact between Faust and the Devil days after!"

If Faust comes off, it will undoubtedly be a highlight of this gifted young lady's musical journey, to go with performing with tribute bands Flash Harry and Rumours Of Fleetwood Mac in the Odyssey to a crowd of 10,000 people.

She clearly thrives on the unexpected: "I think that some of my most enjoyable, satisfying moments are those where I've been taken completely out of my comfort zone and have performed in the most random of places, be it a ceilidh on a tiny island off the Mull of Kintyre, or a weekend of live classical music to a packed Bennigans! These are the kind of gigs that really test your nerve, and I believe that they have made me an even better performer."

And, judging by the creation of Faust, a better all round musician too.

Auditions for Faust are scheduled to take place this June in the Braid Arts Centre, Ballymena. For more information on Faust, check out the official website or find Faust - The Musical on Facebook. Also check out the Facebook page for Sarah Loughridge's production company, Final Bow Productions. Read more...

Meet Lucy Caldwell

The Belfast-born author and playwright chats about her latest novel in front of an expectant Derry audience

BBC Radio Ulster's Marie-Louise Muir welcomes the "very versatile and multi-talented" Lucy Caldwell into Derry-Londonderry's Cafe Blooms to equally warm applause. Her latest piece of literature, All The Beggars Riding, tells the story of Patrick, a plastic surgeon from Belfast who begins an affair with Jane, a work colleague from his part-time job at the Harley Street clinic in London. Meanwhile, back in Belfast, his wife falls pregnant, but he doesn't stop his affair, and soon afterwards, Jane falls pregnant too. And neither wife nor mistress has found out about one another...

The novel – rather racy stuff, if you hear the extract Caldwell reads – is told from the viewpoint of Jane’s daughter, Lara. She's struggling to write her memoir, and believes that visualising the scenario from inside her mother’s head will help her to understand the way her parents work. It's like, as Muir puts it, having a discussion with yourself on how you became a writer.

The book will soon be read on BBC Radio 4's Book At Bedtime by Mrs. James McAvoy herself, Anne-Marie Duff, and it has also been chosen for the One City, One Book initiative later this year; it will be the reading material for the cities of Derry and Belfast during the month of May.

A delighted Caldwell proclaims her pleasure at being able to perform her first public reading of the novel in Cafe Blooms, the "best location in the city" in her eyes, before she reads her extract to us. It's an interesting section, one that gives us the idea of living through the narrator and finding out where the passionate affair materialised. But what an idea – how can a man and a woman have two different families, and never the twain shall meet?

"It all started with a dream I had several years ago", Caldwell says. "In my dream, a doctor was living a double life. And at the time, I was researching my second novel which was set in Bahrain, and wasn't looking for a new idea at all. But the 'double life' stayed with me, and I found myself looking for similar stories in newspapers and magazines. I found so many examples. Recently I met a journalist who told me her uncle's next-door neighbour had had a boy and a girl with two families, and had even called them the same names so he wouldn't get them confused!"

The lack of moral-finger pointing in the book is striking. While one would think that "having two families on the go" is extremely wrong and morally reprehensible, there's no morality in the story as such. It's just a case of both wife and mistress wanting to have a good life, and one never feels like blaming the father.

Caldwell realises that moralising things in the book would have been "too easy" and believed, when writing the book, that fiction could underline the need to understand. She took much inspiration from Nathaniel Kahn’s documentary "My Architect", where Kahn set out to understand his own father once he grew up and his father had died.

"The film is not made with a shred of recrimination or bitterness, just to need to really, truly understand a situation, a situation which Jane never sets herself up to be in to begin with. She can't make friends and cuts herself off from her disapproving parents. No one likes to find themselves in such a state of affairs, but through decision-making you can end up so far from the person you thought you'd be, or thought you were. My book sets out to explore this."

It gets deeper too, with Jane reaching the end of her tether after becoming pregnant for a second time and going to confront Patrick’s wife in Belfast. And it's here where Lara’s memoir collapses; she doesn't remember much, but she remembers that her mother was pregnant and that Patrick hasn’t admitted his own wife's pregnancy. Will Lara be able to understand why her mother stayed with Patrick for so long and why she did what she did? That appears to be the mystery of All The Beggars Riding, in addition to whether this plastic surgeon, one who continuously fixes people's faces, cannot fix his own life.

While also a playwright, Caldwell seems particularly happy to have conceived this idea as a novel: "I think a novel, any novel, is the best way of conveying imagination, reflectivity and consciousness. Radio's a very imaginative medium too because you can be really wide-ranging with it; it always feels like the voice inside your head. With theatre, it's really hard, because it's more about what the characters are doing rather than what they are saying. The key, for me, is to always be in control of the medium you’re working in."

Despite currently being based in London, Caldwell remains very true to her roots. She's done all her radio work with Heather Lorimer at BBC NI, and has always tried to get her plays premieres in Belfast.

Going on to discuss her writing in general, Caldwell recalls just how much writers can learn from fellow literary minded people: "People thought I was telling my life story in my first novel, Where They Were Missed, which was set between Belfast and Donegal. So for my second novel, The Meeting Point, I wanted to do something bigger, bolder and more imaginative.

"Three years later I found myself struggling with a 100,000 word draft. I had a sinking feeling it was going nowhere, and one of my readers, a freelance editor, felt the same way.  So I tried to get a job, and realised I didn't know what to do! I didn’t even have a CV. It was then when I heard Indian author Kiran Desai had also been at her wits' end when writing her second novel, but she managed to pull herself together and write it. Her inspiring, self-depreciating wisdom gave me the spark I needed to complete the novel."

It all ties in with a line from Chekhov's The Seagull, one that Caldwell thinks of a lot: "The most important thing is the ability to endure, and keep on enduring." Such wise words have kept her going throughout a profession that seems to have more than its fair share of peaks and troughs.

"When a book isn't working, or if I'm struggling to keep going, I always remind myself that there are levels of having a bad day or a difficult job. Enduring a disappointing review or a negative comment is nothing compared to listening to people and hearing their stories. While I was researching The Meeting Point in Bahrain and Iraq, I had the incredible privilege of meeting numerous novelists and poets. It's all about balancing the highs and lows."

For all the highs, however, it will be a while before Caldwell has the stamina to write her next novel, considering the amount of work, travel and "emotional complexities" that are likely to come with it. Although if anyone was to approach her about film rights for All The Beggars Riding, "it'd be great!"

For more about Lucy Caldwell, and All The Beggars Riding, check out her official website at www.lucycaldwell.com. Read more...

Little Drummer Girl

Belfast-based jazz musician Rebecca Montgomery on her passion for drumming and learning from some of the best local artists in the business

If you stopped to ask Rebecca Montgomery about herself, then it’s fair to say that "music", "jazz" and "rhythm" would be the first words out of her mouth. Recently singled out by Gary Kelly at Culture Northern Ireland for her "impressive", "manic, Gene Krupa-esque" drumming, the Belfast musician is currently enjoying a weekly slot with the Fiona Scott Trotter Band at Bert's Jazz Bar in The Merchant Hotel. We catch up with her in advance of her next live performance...

As far back as you can remember, did you always want to be a musician?

Yes I did... music is my passion, and I can't imagine my life without it. I am a great believer in "feeling the music" and am in a different world when I'm sitting behind the drum kit. It all began when I was about seven years old and started to learn the piano; I always knew I wanted to learn an instrument, but I had to find the one for me, and because we had a piano in the family home, I started there.

I took my exams up to Grade 7 and participated in numerous small festivals and competitions along the way. However, when learning the piano and finding my feet in the music world, I found that learning the rhythmic side of an instrument had always been my strength. Indeed, I used to get told off for tapping the rhythm with my feet while sitting at the piano! But it wasn't 'til the age of fourteen when I realised that I wanted to perform on stage, and that the piano wouldn't be for me if I truly wanted to do this.

It so happened that a couple of my friends had drum kits, and when I went to their houses and sat down with the equipment, I wouldn't move until I'd mastered the rhythm I wanted to play. My next hurdle was persuading my parents that this new found musical interest wasn't a phase. So I constructed a makeshift drum kit with my first pair of drum sticks and some old books, and played along to some different CDs. Once my mother and father saw that the books were completely battered, they and I knew that I had found my instrument – and my first proper drum kit was only a couple of weeks away.

What attracted you to the jazz scene? Why jazz, of all genres?

I joined the Jazz Band during my fourth year in school, which is taken by Ken Jordan, founder and director of the Ulster Youth Jazz Orchestra (UYJO). During a three-day summer course which took place before the school year began, I had literally just started reading drum charts, and found Victor Lopez's arrangement of "The Chicken" in front of me. Before I had time to panic at the sight of it, I had missed the drum cue.

So, after a bout of self-criticism I listened to, learnt from and played along with some previous UYJO CDs for the rest of the summer. Back at school, I swung through "The Lady Is A Tramp" at the first Jazz Band Rehearsal, and three weeks later, I had the brass hits off! For the rest of my school career, Big Band became my focus, and in 2005 I joined the UYJO for seven years. I get such a buzz from the syncopation, hits, swing, hi hats on the off beat and the domination of the bass line that you find in jazz music.

But it wasn't until I went to university, in 2009, when I realised how different Big Band drumming was to playing in a smaller band. Tutoring from jazz pianist Paul McIntyre and drummer David Lyttle helped change my approach and style completely. By this stage, I wanted to play pure jazz, and about a year later, I met jazz musician John Trotter, who has since been my mentor in addition to one of the most influential musicians in my musical development and appreciation of jazz.

How significant do you believe the drums are overall in sound, both on stage and in a recording studio?

Trying not to be biased, of course, I believe they have great significance on stage. The drums provide the groove and when the feel of the music changes, I believe it should be the drummer who makes that significant change. Then again, I could say the same thing about bass players, or keyboard players... It's really all about working together as a band.

How were you "spotted" on the music scene, so to speak?

I did many gigs around Ireland with Ken Jordan and the UYJO over a seven-year period, and also toured with them to France in 2010.  Without Ken's opportunities, encouragement and patience, I probably wouldn't even be answering this question. Being a drummer with the UYJO led me to discover both a love for jazz and confidence through playing. For this, I can't thank him enough.

Then, two years ago, I was asked if I wanted to do a gig in Bert's Jazz Bar at the Merchant Hotel, Belfast. I had heard of Bert's before, but it was relatively new at the time so I didn't know what to expect. All I knew was that I was extremely nervous. As far as I was concerned, I was a big band drummer and I hadn't quite mastered the small band technique or style.

But then I met John Trotter’s daughter, Fiona Scott Trotter. Fiona is one of Ireland's finest Jazz singers. And I got so much buzz from playing with her and a band in Bert's that first time that I had to go back the following week, and the week after... but I knew I still had a lot of work to do. As the weeks flew by, however, I learnt more, listened more, played more and was encouraged more.

Now I am playing with the Fiona Scott Trotter Band in Bert's Jazz Bar every Friday night, with John Trotter on keys and Gay McIntyre on Alto Sax and Clarinet. Throughout the past year, these musicians have not only guided me as a player, but taught me different styles, rhythms and genres through their experience, music and love for what they do. I've also played numerous festivals, including the Limavady Jazz Festival, Guinness Cork Jazz Festival (with the Harry Connolly Band) and the City Of Derry Jazz Festival.

What's been your most satisfying and enjoyable live performance to date?

Definitely another tough question!  I love playing in Bert's every week, but I should probably also single out recent big band gigs with the Ken Jordan Jazz Orchestra, soul gigs with Manukahunney, and of course the first gig of the 'Satchmo' Tour.

Ah, yes, the "Satchmo" Tour! Tell us more...

"Satchmo" – A Tribute To Louis Armstrong – is a project directed and co-ordinated by trumpeter Rick Swann. Rick and I have studied and performed many times together both at university and through the UYJO. We’ve taken very much a Dixieland approach to this tour, with John Trotter (trombone), Gay McIntyre (clarinet), Jon Somers (guitar/banjo) and David McCracken (bass) joining Rick and me in the band line-up.

The opening night, in Derry's Playhouse Theatre, was great; we sold out and had a very positive response from the audience! I’m really looking forward to the rest of the tour, and, of course, to further tours and jazz festivals in the future.

The "Satchmo" Tour resumes on Friday March 1 in Dublin’s Civic Theatre. For more information on the tour, check it out on Facebook or on Rebecca Montgomery’s official site, www.rebeccamontgomerydrums.com. Read more...