Páipéir Brian Friel

this nagging idea of Dance

Among Friel’s preoccupations whilst writing Dancing at Lughnasa (1990) were what he called ‘this nagging idea of dance’ on the one hand and the extent to which the play’s form should be naturalistic on the other. Here we see some of the many ways in which Friel was thinking about dance, as well as some suggestions for non-naturalistic storytelling devices. These include an idea that Friel considered more than once during his writing career, which was the use of multiple narrators in the style of Dylan Thomas’s radio play Under Milk Wood (1954).

From MS 37,104/1, National Library of Ireland; copyright Brian Friel Estate, reproduced by permission.

Transcription

17 May. ’89.

Of course the play can be written and adequately, maybe fully, realised in a naturalistic style.

But this nagging idea of Dance (naturalistic dance, dance as metaphor, dance as essential theatre, dance as complete self-expression*) persists. And that distances the play from naturalistic/realistic expression.

If so . . . . .

a) Narrator on psychiatrist’s couch: his early childhood

b) Narrator narrating to audience

c) Kind of Milk-Wood. Eight actors on chairs

[22 May 1989. The question, of course, is who is the play about? Is it about (a) the family? (b) the narrator/I figure? or (c) about both?

If it is about the family, as it seems, they why this narrator figure?]

*Dance as memory – dance as dream-memory, dance as substitute for language, dance as worship. (7 June.)

“But this nagging idea of Dance [. . .] persists.” – Brian Friel

The Creative Process

Robbie Blake, preliminary score

This is Robbie Blake’s first attempt at producing a graphic score inspired by Brian Friel’s archives at the National Library of Ireland.

The Creative Process

Lucia Kickham, 'Dance is...'

In this audio file, Lucia Kickham reads aloud from a group automatic writing exercise in which participants responded to the prompts ‘language is’, ‘music is’, and ‘dance is’.

Portrait: Sarah Ryan

Sarah Ryan is a dance artist based in Dublin.

The Creative Process

Jessie Keenan notes, 6

In this extract from Jessie Keenan’s project notes, Jessie plans different intentions for the dancers to try.

“Dance as memory – dance as dream-memory, dance as substitute for language, dance as worship.” – Brian Friel