Shiver
By Declan Hughes
March 28 - April 19 2003 (Previews March 26-27)
Nightly at 8pm
"Harry made this family. Without him we're just, I don't know, a collection of people who know each other, up to a point."
Five years ago, world famous children's writer Harry Golden went missing from his home in Leitrim. Now, as his remains are finally discovered, his two troubled daughters meet in their childhood home to bury their father. Clara is looking for a fight, Nora's uneasy marriage to Danny is ending, their oldest friend Rob is trying to keep the peace, while local undertaker Jack has ghosts of his own to contend with.
"We had a happy childhood. Here. In this house.
We did have a happy childhood. It was lovely. I'm thirty five. You can't sit in your happy childhood polishing the bloody memorabilia for ever."
Cast (in order of speaking)
Richard: Peter Hanly
Jenny: Cathy White
Marion: Cathy Belton
Kevin: Paul Hickey
Creative and Production Team:
Director: Lynne Parker
Set & Lighting Designer: John Comiskey
Costume Designer: Kathy Strachan
Production Manager: Marie Breen
Stage Director: Paula Tierney
Stage Manager: Pamela McQueen
Production Electrician: Barry Conway
Set Construction: Theatre Production Services
Graphic Design: Alphabet Soup
Press Publicist: Siobhán Colgan
Literary Manager: Loughlin Deegan
Producer: Deborah Aydon
"Director Lynne Parker exhorts superb performances from all four actors in a superb production... Declan Hughes clearly loves language. The words drip from the tongues of the actors in his new play, Shiver, like something akin to honey. It's a pleasure to simply sit and listen to the control of sentences, the texture of the words and the lilting, rolling phrases that he uses... More than anything it is refreshing to see a young playwright take on subject matter that reflects the time and the place he is living in" Sunday Tribune
"Very definitely a play for todayÉ much of Hughes's observation is acuteÉ and he obviously feels passionately about his disillusioned theme. The play is given a quite dazzling production" Sunday Independent
"Smart and sensitive new play... Four characters that are well crafted, compelling and convincingÉ The four actors make an incredibly strong team. When they are armed with Hughes's sharp and witty lines, sparks flyÉ" Irish Independent
"Hughes writes wonderful, insightful dialogue and is delving into aspects of contemporary Irish life which haven't appeared on stage beforeÉ He can't have wished for a better production" Guardian
"A fantastic playÉ cracking directionÉ absolutely wonderful" Rattlebag, RTE Radio 1
