Encore Productions June Residency Round Up

Encore Productions – Residency Round Up – June 2025

May and June were months of sharing, learning and creation for Encore Productions as they pushed on with their Frankenstein preparations and showcased their poetry.

The Wednesday group create original writing and art every week in their morning sessions and show these annually in their poetry nights. The latest of these, ‘Between the lines’ had a warm reception from a great audience on May the 1^st. Local actors Jack and Maeve Montgomery, Karen Shields and Paudie Breen read a wide range of poems from 13 writers, live on stage. First time performers Gigi Desatova and Aisling McCracken – students from the Music department at DKIT performed songs and music that sensitively matched the themes expressed in the poetry.

The group have also been exploring the theme of ‘Time’ in art workshops with Orlaith Cullinane – creating paintings, drawings, animation and clocks in response to innovative workshops and discussions. The clocks were designed by the participants and realised on the computer assisted machinery at the FabLab at Creative Spark.

The Tuesday and Thursday performance group were busy expanding their skills with a series of workshops in Voice and Movement from actors Anthony Kinahan and Fiona Keenan O’Brien – both members of Quintessence. It’s part of every serious actor’s practice to build new skills through workshop and the sharing of skills and practice and Encore are no exception. Audiences can expect new levels of clarity, expression and projection in Encore’s next production.

Film plays a central role in Encore’s performance style. The actors donned wig and period dress – utilising green screen techniques to transport themselves to the 19^th Century and bring Mary Shelley and her imagined world of Frankenstein to life. The film work was masterminded by acclaimed film maker Dara McCluskey with his customary flair.

The workshops in voice, movement, art and film were made possible by funding from Creative Ireland.

Encore will soon vacate An Táin to make way for summer programmes but will continue to create and rehearse in RehabCare’s new centre at the Magnet and at Clan Na Gael Football club – returning to their residence in An Táin in August to make final preparations for the Frankenstein Premier in October.

Watch this space!