Home / The Little John Nee Residency
An Grianán Theatre in association with the Donegal Arts Office, Donegal Museum, The Waterside Theatre Derry and The Alley Theatre Strabane presents
The Little John Nee Residency
October 2010 to March 2011
Little John Nee is a Donegal artist with a huge back catalogue of work – at least fifteen plays from the last ten years. As a Donegal artist his work is very much grounded in the historical and contemporary issues which we face in this North West corner of the island, and his work shows a keen understanding of the particular issues that affect the border dwelling communities.
This six month residency programme will feature a retrospective of his work including talks, master classes, workshops, exhibitions and a publication. At the heart of the residency will be three plays from Nee’s extensive back catalogue:
The Derry Boat
Little John Nee is an unlikely gangster as he makes his entrance in The Derry Boat. Cued by a dissonant crunchy electric guitar chord, Nee, as Shugie O'Donnell, crashes through the door of a corrugated metal shack in a rumpled black suit and tiny sunglasses, waving a gun and toting a large suitcase. This sets the stage for an unlikely roller-coaster ride that tells the funny but poignant story of the four generations of migration between Ireland and Scotland. Further info..
The Mental
Originally commissioned by the Axis Theatre Ballymun and the HSE in Donegal this play focuses on the rich history of St Conal’s Hospital in Letterkenny. The story centres on misfit Joe Boyle as he struggles to find a safe place in the world, a journey that lead will him down a road of frustration, isolation, and ultimately breakdown. ** A very important part of this segment of the project is an exhibition on St Conal’s Hospital which will be mounted at the Donegal County Museum in December 2010 – January 2011. Further info..
Rural Electric
Originally commissioned through the Donegal County Council Public Art programme. It is the story of one of the last parishes in Donegal to get the "electric", and as such reveals the changing landscape of the Northwest in terms of social and economic development as well as addressing issues around migration and resettlement. Further info..
From Inspiration to Realisation
During each two month period of the residency we will focus work around each play in turn exploring its themes, undertaking performances and working closely with the target groups in a specifically designed workshop programme.
The theme of the workshop programme is “From Inspiration to Realisation” and it aims to create a short effective workshop, which is linked to performance, deepening the participant’s understanding of the elements that go into creating theatre as well as creating a doorway to access their own creativity. This is a gentle exploration of creativity with an emphasis on beauty and having fun and how this affects our well-being.
The workshop programme will be specifically targeted at senior citizen and people with difficulties assimilating in a modern Ireland such as HSE clients. A secondary aim of this project is to showcase the strength of the dramatic tradition, which is produced in Donegal, and to create a cross border showcase for one of Donegal’s leading artists.
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"I see my work as 21st Century seanachie; integrating all the traditional techniques of fireside storytelling with a host of contemporary theatre influences from around the world" Little John Nee
The Plays
The Residency
Project supported by PEACE III Programme managed for the Special EU Programmes Body by Donegal County Council
