Here is the re-published Programme Notes from Termonfeckin Macra’s Production of Zoo Station.
Stressed out commuting? Afraid you’re gonna lose your job? Think your partner might be cheating? Worried the pressure will get you in the end? You’d better believe it! – “community theatre at its energetic best…..”
== Z o o S t a t i o n ====
Zoo Station is a fast, frenetic, comic piece of theatre developed as part of a three-year collaborative experiment involving professional theatre artists and members of a local community group.
Centred around the railway station of a provincial town forty miles north of Dublin, fast transforming into a satellite of Dublin, the play capture the dilemma of a society caught between high-speed commuter living and an older, threatened way of community and family life
Tommy Brennan is retiring as Station Master and his last shift is turning into the day from commuter Hell. A sequence of early-morning engine and signalling failures, a security alert on the Belfast line and a landslide south of Killiney all conspire to turn an ordinary Bank Holiday Friday into a heart-straining nightmare. The play is a mix of fleeting impressions and cleverly crafted stories that follow the journeys of Tommy, the station staff and a dozen or so commuters through this day, moving from a straight-forward, work-a-day beginning to a transcendental conclusion. One-by-one, the characters discover who they are and deal with life-changing challenges. The small town station becomes a spiritual junction between history and future, past lives and future hopes, life and after-life.
Zoo Station is the latest in a series of projects undertaken between Upstate Local, the community theatre wing of Upstate Theatre Project and Termonfeckin Macra na Feirme. Macra is a training, educational and social organisation for young adults from rural communities in Ireland. Upstate Local has been dedicated since 1997 to working with urban and rural community organisations in the border counties, seeking to achieve the highest standards of artistic and participatory innovation in community arts. An earlier play developed with Termonfeckin Macra, Tunnel of Love, and a further play, Connected, (pre-dating Upstate), in which Declan Gorman collaborated with a Macra project in Monaghan, are to be published along with Zoo Station at the time of the Dublin showcasing of this play in October.
Zoo Station is a further development of these earlier dramas, in style and ambition. As a work of theatre, it is an episodic express-train ride of visual and verbal drama, with impressionist movement sequences, human stories, comedy and an infectious pop sound-track. As a community project, it is a celebration of collective creativity and long-term commitment to developing arts practice. Zoo Station draws from the energy, creativity and imagination of the writers and performers to create an entertaining slice of larger-than-life modern Ireland that will appeal to city and rural audiences alike.
“If, as Thomas Kilroy has suggested, a lively community theatre is emerging to challenge the traditional pre-eminence of the literary in Irish drama, Upstate may well lead the charge.” Irish Theatre Magazine, 1998
Termonfeckin Macra Na Feirme
Termonfeckin Macra was founded in 1948 and has always had a very active membership, growing to a high of 55 in the late 1980’s. Although it was set up originally as a young farmers’ organisation, it has evolved over the years and today caters for all young people, rural or urban.
The club has had many successes over the years in debating, public speaking, drama and stock judging, to name but a few. Being the outward looking bunch that they are, many members have availed of the travel opportunities that exist within the organisation. From Russia to East Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Japan, Florida and Toronto, – many cities and countries have been visited over the years.
Not a club to rest on its laurels, or dwell on its past glories, Termonfeckin Macra is always looking for a new challenge. A good example of this is its members’ current endeavour, to write and produce a five act play.
Thank You’s
To the “2 Declans” – thanks for your unwavering enthusiasm, belief in Termonfeckin Macra and for truly believing that anything is possible. With your help we have explored new avenues and found that life is “No Level Crossing”!!
To Paul – your set design transports us to Bridgeford Railway Station. Thank you for your inspirational ideas.
To Alpine Furniture—Your assistance in making the set was invaluable to us.
To Lorraine—thanks for giving over your house to us on numerous occasions and for the countless cups of tea and biscuits!
To Chris Douglas— thanks for the rehearsal space in An Grianan Sports Hall.
To everyone who made this project possible—Thank You.
“Zoo Station”
by Termonfeckin Macra
The action is centred in and around the railway station of a provincial town thirty miles north of Dublin, fast transforming into a satellite of the capital city..
Act One: Morning
Act Two: Noon
Act Three: Afternoon
Act Four: Evening
Act Five: Night
There will be a short interval after Act 3
The Cast
Nicholas Duff Tommy Brennan, The Station Master
William Sullivan Mattie, a railway employee /
Also: Various other railway men and drivers
Keith Corrigan Ned, a railway employee
Also: The Announcer
Russell Kerr Mickey Mohan, a former railway employee
Colm Markey Eric, a commuting business executive
Valerie Sullivan Angela, Eric’s wife /
Also: Sheila, a passenger / Gina, an office receptionist
Ciaran Kenny ** Colin, a commuting sales executive /
Also: Seamus, a student
Wendy O’Reilly Teresa, Colin’s wife /
Also: Alice, a student
Derek Reynolds Mick,, a student
Fergal McEvoy Bob, a builder /
Also: Jack, a student
Una Doyle Lisa, a mother-to-be /
Also: Helen, a company secretary
Sinead Markey Kathleen Woods, 49,Raymond’s mother /
Also:
Brigid, Chief Executive of a Dublin company
John Leech Garda, Richard O’Neill
Maire Leech Bridgie Brennan, the Station Master’s wife /
Also: Terry, an associate of Eric / The Newsreader
** Ciarán Kenny is a freelance actor who has performed on many occasions with the Upstate Live touring company. He is standing in at short notice to replace Thomas Mc Dermott, who has had to withdraw due to unforeseen circumstances. Thomas will take up the role again for the October revival and festival performances.
Zoo Station is an original stage drama, written collectively by members of Termonfeckin Macra Na Feirme.
Scripwriters : John Leech
William Sullivan
Nicholas Duff
Thomas McDermott
Maire Leech
Colm Markey
Derek Reynolds
Fergal McEvoy
Una Doyle
Additional Workshop Robert O’Callaghan
Particpants: Peter Leonard
Project Facilitator: Declan Mallon,
Development Officer, Upstate Theatre Project
Script Supervisor/ Declan Gorman
Director Artistic Director, Upstate Theatre Project
Production Designer: Paul O’Mahony
Lighting: Colin Everett
Declan Mallon
Sound: Nicholas Duff
Declan Gorman
Set Construction: Alpine Furniture
Upstate Theatre Group.
Upstate Live is the performance company of Upstate Theatre Project, a radical, community-centred performing Arts organisation, based in Drogheda, Co. Louth. Upstate was formed in 1997, following almost a year of research and workshop activity to establish the viability of a resourcing, training and performance company under one roof for the North East. The resulting project differs in emphasis from existing models of production companies that have an Outreach or Education department. It is founded on principles of community participation, and its community and performance activities are all part of a single continuum. The aim of Upstate is to explore and celebrate the culture of a distinct region through drama, performance and action.
Upstate operates under four distinct but interlinked programmes:
UPSTATE LIVE: the performance company, which employs Equity professional actors and aspires to present theatrical work of the highest standards to the public.
UPSTATE LOCAL: the community drama and animation programme, whereby we work in partnership with local groups (e.g. Termonfeckin Macra Na Feirme) to devise original dramas of local interest with them.
UPSTATE LEARNING: our training and education programmes, including “Mentor” whereby we give young, aspiring talent in the border region the opportunity to receive foundation training alongside experienced professionals in actual performance conditions.
UPSTATE LAB: which includes our innovative workshop programmes both with professional actors, designers, choreographers etc., and with local groups and is dedicated to researching new approaches to staging and playwriting.
We are generously funded by the EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation and the Arts Council to develop and implement these interlinked programmes. We have also been generously assisted by Drogheda Partnership, Louth County Enterprise Board and in particular, by a range of community and youth groups in the Louth, Monaghan, Meath and Cavan region, who have bought in to this ideal with considerable enthusiasm.
