A PERFORMANCE ON SCREEN
Irish Repertory Theatre presents
The Co-motion Media Production of
The Aran Islands
Written by JM Synge
Adapted by Joe O’Byrne
Starring Brendan Conroy
Directed by Joe O’Byrne
Irish Rep “continue[s] to set the gold standard for theatrical webcasting…a piece of richly colored storytelling” – Terry Teachout, The Wall Street Journal
In the grey, sea-battered landscape of the Aran Islands, full of mist and wild rain, hearth is home and storytellers regale with tales by the fire. When John Millington Synge traveled to these remote islands upon the advice of WB Yeats in 1898, he discovered a bleakly primitive, mystical land that would inspire him for the rest of his life, leading to canonical works in Irish theatre, including The Playboy of the Western World and Riders to the Sea.
The Aran Islands: A Performance on Screen is a haunting and visceral experience built around “a hypnotic performance” by Brendan Conroy, one of Ireland’s finest actors, as he captures the spirit of Synge in Joe O’Bryne’s theatrical adaptation of Synge’s early work, “The Aran Islands.” This play has been reimagined for digital presentation, transporting audiences to a distant world.
The Aran Islands: A Performance on Screen was filmed primarily at The New Theatre in Dublin, with additional footage from the Aran Islands and Dublin’s Smock Alley Theatre. Irish Repertory Theatre presented the stage production of The Aran Islands in association with Co-Motion Media in 2017.
Irish Rep “continue[s] to set the gold standard for theatrical webcasting…a piece of richly colored storytelling” – Terry Teachout, The Wall Street Journal
Press from our 2017 production:
“a hugely influential work…If you’ve ever wondered why Ireland has produced so many Nobel laureates in literature, this is a good place to start.” – Theatermania
“a hypnotic performance… Conroy beautifully captures the islanders as he takes us on an intimate journey. For those 100 minutes, you feel transported back in time.” – Huffington Post
Special Thanks to Anthony Fox of The New Theatre in Dublin, Ireland, Culture Ireland, Ulrike Führer, Padraig Jack, and Tomás of An Post on Inishmaan.
This production is sponsored in part by Aer Lingus.
