Ealing Pub Celebrates Poetry Day

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'Journey to the Fifth Province’  hit show of the 2011 Irish Writers Festival  

Summer travels may be over but now’s the time for a journey of a very different kind. ‘Journey to the Fifth Province’ features actor Donal Cox and Celtic harper Harriet Earis in a feast of story, music and poetry, laced with humour and emotion.

More magical than a play and more personal than a concert, this show has something to say to everyone. On National Poetry Day, Thursday 6 October, it calls in at The Rose and Crown, Ealing - one of 15 autumn and spring dates across the UK. The tour is supported by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

Inspired by the great tradition of Irish storytelling Donal Cox invites the poets of Ireland to open some unusual windows on life, calling up a host of compelling stories and characters.

Outstanding musician Harriet Earis, twice holder of the title ‘Harper of all Britain’, provides music to accompany a journey to what W B Yeats called ‘the deep heart’s core’.

The pair will perform at The Rose and Crown, where landlord Tom Tucker is keen to establish a name for interesting events as well as for great food.

‘Journey to the Fifth Province’ launched the 2011 Irish Writers Festival in London, at which novelist Edna O’Brien gave an opening address. She asserted that the written word is something that will last and be a valuable resource for later generations to revisit.

This production sets out to celebrate how rich, diverse and accessible poetry can be, and National Poetry Day offers the perfect context in which to do so. In addition it brings to audiences who share an Irish heritage opportunities to discover the power of poetry to reconnect them with their cultural roots. Arts Council England’s funding support recognises the high quality of this unusual entertainment and its value for audiences.

Audience member, Marianne Ling (Friends of Irish Heritage): “This is soul food”.
Catherina Casey, General manager of the Irish Cultural Centre: “Unforgettable…a stand-out performance”.
Partick Lennon, Irish Times: “a professional theatrical experience that is truly enriching”

Donal Cox was privileged to work at the Gate Theatre, Dublin with the legendary Micheál Mac Liammóir, who brought a new dimension of the great Irish storytelling tradition to the stage in his solo shows.

Since 1975 Donal has worked from this inspiration, including as the leading performer with Irish Heritage, both in London’s West End theatres and further afield, in countless productions featuring the work of Irish writers. He says “We see Journey to the Fifth Province as an essential contribution to what Irish culture can be in the UK. We’re heartened to find our view reflected by the high regard in which our project is held, among arts and culture professionals across the UK.”

www.fifthprovinceproductions.org.uk

28th September 2011