Another fantastic mix of drama, poetry, comedy and prose.  FREE ENTRANCE.

Taking to the Speakeasy stage this month will be award-winning short story writer Estelle Birdy, acclaimed author Lynn Buckle and novelist Paul Kestell. Joining them will be poet Anton Floyd and Joy Lawlor who will be reading from her father’s letters published on her website ‘Bonny Braeside‘.  Expect something mystical and Halloweeny from Rae McKinley and something rude from the inimitable Rude Judes.  We also welcome for the first time comedian Dakota Mick.

Our final slot of the evening will be an excerpt from Cork Arts Theatre/Minnow Productions forthcoming presentation of Jerome K Jerome’s “Three Men In A Boat.” Full details below.

October’s Performers

Estelle Birdy is a writer, yoga teacher and mother of four, living and working in Dublin but when she wins the Lotto, she’s moving to West Cork. She has recently completed a Masters in Creative Writing at UCD and is currently working on a novel about a group of young fellas living in Dublin’s city centre. Her work has appeared in the New York based literary journal, The Squawkback, in Heartland, the Penfro Book Festival winners’ anthology, on The Journal.ie, Bogman’s Cannon, Cunning Hired Knaves and My Second Spring. Her book reviews have appeared in The Sunday Independent and she is a reader for the Francis MacManus RTE Short Story Prize. She really enjoys performing her work and it’s like a dream come true to be asked to read in Skibbereen.

Lynn Buckle was born in the UK and after much travel has spent the last thirty years in Ireland. She is a successful Kildare based artist, tutor and writer. She spent years stealing feelings and painting them onto canvas, but her stories needed words and she changed to writing verse.  Lynn Buckle is the author of  Luise an Chleite anthologyand The Groundsmen reviewed as  “powerful and affecting. Lynn Buckle is a fierce and fearless new voice in Irish writing.’  Published by http://epoquepress.com .

Paul Kestell published his debut novel Viaréggio in October 2009, this novel has received excellent reviews in both the ‘Sunday Independent, and the Irish World newspapers, ‘the novel has also featured on Rte Radio one, and on Cork 96fm.  Paul’s previous works include his radio play, ‘For a few weeks in June,’ broadcast on RTE and his short story ‘Ballinglanna,’ published by Willow Lake press. Paul Kestell read at the West Cork Literary festival on July 5th- 2011- this international event featured among others David Soul and John Boyne.
Paul lived in West Cork and his second novel ‘Wood Point,’ was published in the autumn of 2011.  Paul followed ‘Wood Point,’ with two collections of novelettes….’The Mad Marys of Dunworley & other stories and The West Cork Railway & other stories’

Paul published his first collection of short stories ‘Nogginers,’ in May 2016—these stories have received wonderful reviews on Amazon.
This writer is a regular reader in libraries throughout Ireland, having read in Cabinteely, Blancardstown, Clondalkin, Balbriggan, Malahide, Lucan, and in Bandon, Blackpool and Mayfield libraries in Cork……Presently Paul has published a new novel a mystery thriller, ‘The Baby Farm.’  The Baby Farm has just received a five star review on Amazon Kindle.

Anton Floyd was born in Egypt and raised in the Cyprus. Educated in Ireland, he studied at Trinity College Dublin and University College Cork. He has lived and worked in the Eastern Mediterranean variously as a teacher, school principal, artistic director and producer. He is now teaching in Cork City and lives near Inchigeelagh. Poems are widely published and forthcoming in Ireland and elsewhere. He is a several times prize-winner of the Irish Haiku Society International Competition; runner-up in the Snapshot Press Haiku Calendar Competition and most recently received a highly commended in the Anam Cara competition. His poems were included in the anthology ‘Between the Leaves’ (Arlen House) and the anthology Teachers Who Write (ed. Edward Denniston WTC 2018).

Rude Jude (aka Judith Coffey)  scribbled ditties for years.  A serial volunteer within the Arts, she supported her friends at the inaugural “Gab – Mixed Tape Night” in Coughlans, June 2016 and  is now a regular on  “The Gab” Set List,  taking  part in  Cork’s Harbour Festival,  Life Long Learning Festival, World Story Telling Day, Storytellers of Ireland.   Rude Judes has hosted the “Crosstown Drift Bus” on behalf of The Good Room, at Cork’s Midsummer Festival the past three years. On 1st November she will be reading for the second time at “The Peacock Parlour” Burlesque night at The Kino.  A resident of Cobh she regularly performs her poems at “Coliemore – The Artists House”, she presented and judged poetry at  ‘Cobh Readers and Writer’s Festival’ this year.    Rude Jude’s poems are observations from life (middle-aged gal’s perspective)  interspersed with humour and witticisms.

Dakota Mick was raised on the Dakota Plains, in Ireland due to the misfortunes of love. Dakota Mick is doing his best to fit in and understand what the hell is going on. Mostly he is failing, but at least he can laugh about it. Why not come along and laugh with Ireland’s best Dakotan comedian. And if you can not laugh with him at least you can laugh at him. Because hey who doesn’t like laughing at Yanks.

Rae McKinlay is a lover of story. She is an advocate of the mythos way of wisdoms and has traveled the Celtic Lands in her quest for story wisdom and inspiration. Though she loves the tales of indigenous peoples, Rae writes her own stories which are often rooted in nature and the old ways of knowing. She has just released her CD “She Who Spins Stories” and is near completion of her debut book “When Crow Was White”.

Joy Lawlor‘s blog, ‘Bonny Braeside’ juxtaposes excerpts from her father’s letters ( 1964-1980) with her own story.”My father’s letters, like Mr Pooters, describe a small world. ‘Braeside’, the 1930’s semi where I grew up, is in Church Street, Earl Shilton, a Midland village so poor it didn’t have its own church till the mid nineteenth century. In 1865 my great grandfather opened the first shoe factory in a village that until then housed stocking frame workers and cobblers. His son later went bankrupt throwing my father at the mercy of the hosiery or boot and shoe trades or, in hard times, the dole. In the early letters he is about to retire (he was born in 1900) and accept a job sweeping up in a factory along Church Street. Dad’s letters are for the most part sunny, but there was darkness in that house and I had to escape so my story is very different”.

Ten-Past-Ten Theatre  Our first ever theatre slot will feature an extract from Minnow Productions “Three Men In A Boat” by Jerome K. Jerome.  Adapted by Ethan Dillon and Directed by Mags Keohane.  MINNOW aims to create innovative and socially engaged theatre for a diverse audience. The company’s journey begins with a commitment to artistic collaboration. Mags and Ethan first worked together on a production of Serious Money by Caryl Churchill which won Best Ensemble and Best Set at the Irish Student Drama Awards 2012. As part of the Granary Theatre’s New Director’s Festival 2015 they collaborated on Made in China by Mark O’ Rowe – “a coarse and sleazy slice of Dublin given Cork edge” (Irish Examiner). Three Men in a Boat is their most creatively ambitious project to date, transforming Jerome K. Jerome’s 19th Century classic for modern Irish audiences to enjoy.

This production is made possible by the Cork Arts Theatre and the Arts Council Emerging Artists Programme.

November 21st to 30th (excluding Sunday 24th) @ pm
PREVIEWS: 19th and 20th November @ 8pm

BOOK HERE 

Cork Arts Theatre Event Page: https://www.ticketsource.eu/corkartstheatre/three-men-in-a-boat/e-lvgxjz

Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/715117698962879/