‘Welcome to the A & E. The E dot D. The E and R. Call it what you will - it’s where you never want to be’
Live piano performed by Hélène Montague
With a SOIRÉE PERFORMANCE at 7pm on Thursday,August 29th, 2024
ABOUT
BEWLEY’S CAFÉ THEATRE with Gap Arts Festival is proud to present…
HEAD CASE
The Love Song of an A & E Patient
Written and performed by Garrett Keogh
With live piano performed by Hélène Montague
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A day in the life of a man who gets a bang on the head and lands in hospital. They’re all here: the old ones, the out-of-its, the genuine emergencies, the drunks, messers, the head cases. The staff are run off their feet. He sees strange things, meets funny people, and gets a shocking glimpse into our ailing Health System.
‘The wheelchairs are chained. The stretchers restrained. The toilet roll is under a padlock and a key.
He wants to scream, but he has a pain in his head and he needs to be seen. And anyway, what good would screaming do?
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Age guidance: 12+
Duration: 50 minutes
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Garrett Keogh trained at the Abbey Theatre, and the Ladislav Fialka Mime Theatre, Prague. He was a member of the Abbey Company, playing many roles in O'Casey, Hugh Leonard, Tom Murphy, Brian Friel, and David Mamet. He has worked in the Gate, the Project, and performed in theatres and halls all over Ireland. He has played on Broadway, the West End, the Hellfire Club (up a chimney), on Dollymount Strand (in a barrel), and in Seán McDermott Street (in a coffin).
His writing has been recognised by various awards. Stewart Parker/BBC Radio Drama Award for Shep; P. J. O’Connor Radio Drama Award for Nancy; Oireachtas Award Script Teilifíse for An Píobaire Rua.
He is director of the Gap Arts Festival, an annual multi-discipline festival in the hills of north Wexford where he lives. Head Case was first performed at The Gap Arts Festival 2023.
Hélène Montague LTCL, FTCL, was born in Stockholm and moved to West Cork where she was educated at home with Music as first subject. A founder member of Rough Magic Theatre Company she has worked frequently with them as an actor, musician, musical director and voice director.
She has worked widely as a freelance actor and musician for theatre radio tv and film, and as director of opera and theatre. In 2019 she directed the premiere of Kevin O'Connell's Opera DreamCatchr for RIAM, the film of which has just been screened as part of the Dublin International Film Festival 2024.
Hélène has been teaching Theatre and Musical Theatre in Inchicore College since 2007, she also teaches acting on the B.Mus Opera Course in the Royal Irish Academy of Music.
In March 2024 she directed two operas Cendrillon and Postcard from Morrocco for RIAM in collaboration with AIDT at the Project Arts Centre. Hélène will be directing the opera La Vera Costanza by Joseph Haydn for RIAM in the Samuel Beckett theatre in January 2025.
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BOOKING INFORMATION
August 19th to Sept 7th, 2024
There will be a SOIRÉE SHOW at 7pm on August 29th, 2024
Mon-Sat at 1pm (doors open at 12.50pm)
Tickets: Low-price Mon/Tues €10, Wed/Thurs €12, Fri/Sat €15.
SOIRÉE Tickets : €12
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Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible via the main Grafton Street entrance with a lift to the second floor.
CAST AND CREW
WRITTEN & PERFORMED BY: Garrett Keogh
COMPOSED BY: Hélène Montague & Trevor Knight
SET & COSTUME DESIGN: Marie Tierney
LIGHTING DESIGN:Conleth White
IMAGE DESIGN: Gavin Doyle
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