THE death of actor, writer, producer Peter Quigley has saddened his legions of friends. It was always a joy to meet Peter either in the theatre or on Botanic Avenue where we seemed destined to bump into each other and after updating each other on the lives of mutual friends and exchanging all the gossip, we'd excitedly talk about Peter’s latest venture.
Our last meeting was in February at the Courtyard Theatre in Newtownabbey where he was directing Nuala McKeever in Talking Heads. He discussed the show in detail, explained his innovative take on the Alan Bennett monologues, his wide-eyed enthusiasm his trademark.
I especially remember Peter as Emcee in Cabaret with the Actor’s Company at the Arts Theatre. He embraced the part and reprised this character many times since. Always challenging life, not long ago he broke new ground at the MAC Theatre and touring in Tuesdays at Tescos, exploring issues of a transgender woman in the role of Pauline.
At the beginning of May Peter complained of a stomach "malfunction" so his illness was short and devastating. I like to think he is reunited with Leila Webster, a woman of the theatre and a lady he loved. In fact, with his hairdressing skills, he faithfully dressed Leila’s hair every week and before her public appearances. Typical, a generous and gifted man.
Facebook is crammed with tributes and memories. Apparently only a few days before he died in hospital surrounded by his closest friends, Peter, in full make-up, recited Helas, Oscar Wildes’s tragic and beautiful love poem, his voice at first weak but captivating, strengthening as he spoke.
As in the poem, Peter Quigley surely trod the sunlit heights.
The Barefoot Baronet
PETER would have loved to hear of Roma Tomelty’s forthcoming production. On the weekend of July 3-5, she will direct a staged reading of The Importance of Being Ernest by Oscar Wilde. There have been quite a few Wildean weekends recently but this is special as it will be held in Lissan House near Cooktown, the former home of Sir Robert Ponsonby Staples, painter and eccentric and close friend of Wilde.
Indeed, there’s much talk of some infamous house parties attended by Wilde and Bosie with members of the Cafe Royal Set, that included Lily Langtry, William Orpen and King Edward VII – high jinks far from the prying eyes of London society.
Ponsonby was a character who was known as the Barefoot Baronet because he believed wearing shoes prevented the Earth’s natural energy from permeating his body. He even travelled to Belfast to stand on the tramlines to get an added surge to boost his health.
The show will be a full-scale costumed promenade performance, using the beautiful house and travelling from room to room with cucumber sandwiches and tea being served, so why not join the modern Cafe Royal Set at Lissan, the very place where Oscar Wilde enjoyed hospitality?
As well as this, Roma Tomelty and Colin Carnegie, directors of Centre Stage Theatre Company, are embarking on their annual summer school for young people, now in its 35th year. They will be welcoming pupils from around the world to Kilmore House, Glenariff, for intense fun and learning and a performance and Oscar ceremony at the end of each week.
This drama holiday runs from July 26 until the end of August, a real family atmosphere where students eat together, work on all aspects of stage craft and, according to Roma, learn to say please and thank you.
With students from Turkey, Greece, California, France and Spain wishing to perfect their English, as well as those from UK and Ireland, it’s a cosmopolitan centre which can only benefit young people not just with theatre skills but also mixing, memory retention, self-esteem and lasting friendships. Details at summerdrama.co.uk.
The home coming
THERE'S great excitement in C. Donegal at the moment as people await the arrival of St Conall’s Bell and Shrine. From July 4 to 13 Portnoo will be the centre of celebration for this home coming. Although the bell and shrine have been residing in the Donegal Museum in Letterkenny since mid-June, they will only arrive in their home place on the Monday for one day before being transported back to the British Museum.
Sadly it will be impossible to actually cross to the Island of Inniskeel and the site of the monastery because the tides don’t allow it, so they’ll be displayed at the Dolmen Centre in Kilclooney a few minutes away from the strand and the island of their birth.
Two people will be especially moved by the event – Brenda Mahon and Claudia McGinley. It was Brenda’s husband Malachy who was the moving force behind bringing the artefacts back to this idyllic part of Donegal. He contacted the curator at the British Museum to remark that the Bell and Shrine had been to Philadelphia but never home to Inniskeel – why not?
Brenda tells me: “The answer was – you never asked!” So, two years ago, the wheels were set in motion and Malachy’s dream became a reality: they were coming home. Sadly, he won’t be there to welcome them as this dedicated man, retired headmaster of Mary's College Irvinestown, Co Fermanagh, died in March.
Claudia’s special interest centres on the island itself as her grandparents lived there for many years. Her father and uncle, John and Richard Barrett, remember as children the days when they’d bring back eggs and potatoes to the mainland to sell and in spring planting the seed potatoes in the rich soil where once stood the monastery founded by St Conall 1,500 years ago.
Obviously it has a special place in her heart and as one of the co-ordinators of the homecoming Claudia worked closely with Malachy and Brenda to bring this to fruition. More next Monday about the week-long plans for the days prior to the historic homecoming.
