The Tales of Ballycumber is playing at the Abbey Theatre - it’s opening this week in fact, as part of the 2009 Dublin Theatre Festival. I’ve was invited down to the theatre to watch the set being built.
It started out in the design phase as just a model:
where only certain details could be seen:
and then progressed onto the main stage where it’s taken on a life of its own, including a startling 5,000 daffodils!
Those who follow my Pix.ie TwitPix album may remember I posted the first photos on Tuesday, September 22.
You can imagine how much work something like this takes!
The next day (Wednesday 23) things started looking a bit less like a skate park and more like a set, with some of the daffodils making an appearance at the front:
On Friday, September 25 the daffodils were being planted and things were really taking shape:
and then, on Friday, October 2, I got to see the finished version:
and from the stage:
Here’s what’s on the mantelpiece:
Doesn’t it look special? Don’t know what they’ll do with 5,000 daffodils when the run ends on November 7. Any ideas?
Maybe there’ll be a bunch of daffs for everyone in the audience?
@QoB lol, maybe!
Really looking forward to seeing this, not least cos I now know how much work went into the set
I know for sure they will be dumped,like all the sets in the Abbey.What a waste of materials and money.
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Given the sub-text of the play and the daffodil association with our modern cancer plague why not plant them in the two Ballycumbers (Wicklow & Offaly) as a reminder of beauty, hope, regeneration and continuous, vigorous growth against many odds. Lesser feats have been managed by the Arts; well done the Arts! Well done Sebastian & friends.