Reknowned UK publishing company Faber & Faber to publish souvenir script and programme

We're delighted to be able to announce that Faber & Faber reknowned publishing company in the UK are going to be printing limited edition souvenir scripts which will include the stageplays programme during the run of the shows, and this special memory piece will be launched on our Opening Night in Waterford at the World Premiere of The Country Girls.
The cover of this special piece will feature the familiar image of Kate (Holly Browne) & Baba (Caoimhe O'Malley) which is designed by Steve O'Connell as seen below.

Very Successful end to our Fundit Campaign

"How wonderful that someone would be so generous and so modest" Edna O'Brien

Thank you everyone that gave so generously to our Fundit Campaign and I now declare it offically Finished.
The total raised shows how much people love and adore the work of Edna O'Brien and Mikel Murfi, aswell as Red Kettle Theatre Company.

So on behalf of everyone in Red Kettle, we thank and applaude you fantastic support and know that you'll thoroughly enjoy the amazing World Premier in Garter Lane Waterford & The Gaiety Dublin of the stage play beginning in October.

All rewards and pledges will be processed over the next 3 weeks and Red Kettle will be in touch with everyone that has purchased a reward to sort out details and issue ticket details.

For Ticket booking and details

Waterford
http://www.garterlane.ie/

Dublin
http://www.gaietytheatre.ie/

Heartfelt Thanks 

Steve McCarthy

Fundit Co-Ordinator on behalf of Red Kettle Waterford

Edna O'Brien wins Frank O'Connor Award -Irish Examiner Extract-

The veteran Irish writer Edna O’Brien has been named the winner of the 2011 Frank O’Connor Short Story Award for her collection, 'Saints and Sinners'.

O’Brien received the prize in person at 8pm this evening, at the Metropole Hotel, in Cork. She is the first Irish writer to win.

The award, worth €35,000 and now in its seventh year, is the richest in the world for a collection of short stories. It is sponsored by Cork City Council and organised by Munster Literature Centre as part of its annual Cork International Short Story Festival.

In announcing O’Brien as the winner, Munster Literature Centre director Patrick Cotter praised the standard of this year’s entries, which he said was uniformly high.

The decision to award O’Brien the prize was, he said, a majority one, and not unanimous, and there had been some heated debate among the judges, who included the poet Thomas McCarthy, novelist and journalist Alannah Hopkin, music and book critic Chris Power.

The other shortlisted authors were Yiyun Li, Alexander McLeod, Suzanne Rivecca, Valerie Trueblood, and the Irish writer Colm Toibin.

Frank O’Connor’s daughter, LIadin, was on hand to present O’Brien with a copy of O’Connor’s book, 'The Habit of Getting It Down Right'.

O’Brien, who had read from her collection in the same venue on Saturday evening, seemed genuinely thrilled to have won the award.

“This is lovely, wonderful,” she said. “When Maureen Stapleton won an Academy Award, she said she’d like to thank everyone she’d ever met. I should probably limit that to Munster… I’d like to thank this wonderful festival for doing so much to stimulate the dying flower called literature.

“I can’t be blamed for the judges getting hot-tempered,” she added. “I haven’t won that many prizes in the past, so I have no qualms about accepting one on this occasion.”

O’Brien was born in Tuamgraney, Co Clare in December 1930. She first began writing short stories in Dublin, where she had moved to study pharmacy.

O’Brien recalled that her literary heroes were Frank O’Connor, Sean O Faolain and Peadar O’Donnell, who published her first stories in the literary magazine 'The Bell'.

“I didn’t know much about seduction in those days. I still don’t. But Peadar O’Donnell would buy me sweets rather than ply me with drink, and he told me that I needed to read a lot more.

“I’m still grateful to Peadar for that, that he encouraged me to educate myself.”

O’Brien’s earliest books were the novels 'The Country Girls', 'The Girl With Green Eyes' and 'Girls in Their Wedded Bliss'. For many years, her books were banned in Ireland.

Read more: http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/edna-obrien-wins-frank-oconnor-award-521077.html#ixzz1YfGzuZN4

End to a great week of rehearsals

Exciting first week of rehearsals done and dusted, the talented cast are really enjoying working alongside Edna O'Brien and Mikel Murfi.
Roll on next week as the pace steps up a notch, and each character further develops on the rehearsal floor. Watch this space for any further updates.

Off to a flying start

We had an excellent first day of rehearsals yesterday for The Country Girls. We’ve a really great team on board, and we were delighted to have Edna O’ Brien in the room with us. The first read-through went really well. This is going to be a great production…

Half way to the deadline

With just 14days left on our fundit Campaign, please help us get the funding this project deserves and you can help us, its as simple as 1,2,3,

1. Click on the link

http://www.fundit.ie/project/world-premiere-of-the-country-girls

2. Read about our project + the rewards Red Kettle is offering.

3. If you like it, click on the 'Fund It' button under the video, follow the onscreen instructions to pledge your money.

We must raise a total TARGET of €8,500 or we receive none of the Funding. So please give what you can to make this project the success it deserves.

Thank you so much to all who have already given generously.

Red Kettle Fundit Campaign Team

The Clock is ticking...............

Only one week to go until rehearsals begin now, with great excitement building. We’re all extra thrilled that Edna O’ Brien will be joining us in the rehearsal room for our first day. 

Here are some fantastic photos of Kate (Holly Browne) & Baba (Caoimhe O'Malley) for our poster design by Steve O'Connell.

Great rewards for your generous support, the choice is yours.

What is Fundit.ie?

• Fund it is a new crowdfunding platform to help raise money for creative ideas and projects from Ireland.

• It’s based on the premise that a creative idea can attract small amounts of money from a large number of people, whether they are family, friends, supporters, or simply members of the general public who would like to see a great idea realised in return for rewards.

 What is All or Nothing funding?

• Every Fund it project or idea must reach or exceed its target amount before the time expires, otherwise the project does not receive funding and Funders do not get charged. 

• If people want to see an idea brought to life, they will help make it happen.

 The Country Girls Rewards

€10
FATHER'S FAVOUR The personal satisfaction of having helped bring this classic to the stage. Give yourself a round of applause. A special listing in the event programme and on the website.

€20 +

MOTHER'S BLESSING Contains all thats in the €10 reward plus a free copy of the limited-edition programme and a personalised Thank you letter.

€55 +

THADY'S THANKS Contains all thats in the €20 reward plus your photo on our official Wall of Supporters, and two tickets to the a special preview performance in Waterford. Arrangements with ticket issuing will be made via email once the pledge is made and processed.

€80 +

HICKEY'S GIFT Contains all thats in the €20 reward plus your photo on our official Wall of Supporters, a copy of the limited edition poster and two tickets to the performance of your choice in Waterford. Arrangements with ticket issuing will be made via email once the pledge is made and processed.

€100 +

MRS BURN'S BARGAIN Contains all thats in the €20 reward plus your photo on our official Wall of Supporters, a copy of the limited edition poster and two tickets to one performance at The Gaiety Theatre, which might be a more attractive option for our supporters in Dublin. Arrangements with ticket issuing will be made via email once the pledge is made and processed.

€150 +

KATE'S KUDOS Contains all thats in the €20 reward plus your photo on our official Wall of Supporters, a copy of the limited edition poster, attendance at one rehearsal performance for two people, and four tickets to the performance of your choice in Waterford. Arrangements with ticket issuing will be made via email once the pledge is made and processed.

€200 +

LIL'S OFFERING Contains all thats in the €20 reward plus your photo on our official Wall of Supporters, a copy of the limited edition poster, attendance at the Dress rehearsal performance for two people, and four tickets to one performance at The Gaiety Theatre, which might be a more attractive option for our supporters in Dublin. Arrangements with ticket issuing will be made via email once the pledge is made and processed.

€250 +

BABA'S BLESSING Contains all thats in the €20 reward plus your photo on our official Wall of Supporters, a copy of the limited edition poster, attendance at one rehearsal performance for two people and two tickets to the opening night gala performance and wine reception in Waterford. Arrangements with ticket issuing will be made via email once the pledge is made and processed.

€500 +

MR GENTLEMAN'S GRATITUDE Contains all thats in the €250 reward plus a copy of the script signed by Edna O' Brien and become a Silver Friend of Red Kettle for one year with all the benefits that will bring, including two tickets to all shows in that year in Waterford. Arrangements with ticket issuing will be made via email once the pledge is made and processed.

€1000 +

SISTER IMMACULATA'S GLORY Contains all thats in the €250 reward plus become a Gold Friend of Red Kettle for one year with all the benefits that will bring, including six tickets to all shows in that year in Waterford. Arrangements with ticket issuing will be made via email once the pledge is made and processed.

 Click on the image to login and begin funding this amazing project and help us reach our Target

Come on everybody, help make this happen

So far 8 days into our Fund it campaign we have had 4 very generous funders, we do have a large target of €8,500 to raise but with your help we can make it possible.

Not very often does such an exciting World Premier land on our doorstep and this is exactly what has happened with The Country Girls so if you want to see this project blossom to what it deserves then please help us transform our amount raised so far.....

to a fantastic final total of.....

CLICK ON IMAGES TO SEE MORE DETAILS AND HOW YOU CAN HELP MAKE THIS A REALITY

Munster Express September 2nd by Liam Murphy

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Billboards are up and ready to advertise

Have you seen the fantastic advertising billboards for The Country Girls yet.
If so, please comment as to where and when you spotted them.

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BREAKING NEWS - Design team list is here

Trevor Knight on Sound Composition

Léonore McDonagh on Costume Design

Set Designer Ben Hennessy

And Conleth White for Lighting Design

For any further updates watch this space.