INTERVIEW: Veteran director Paddy Behan set to bring a Brian Friel classic to life on stage

Carlow Little Theatre Society return to the stage at the George Bernard Shaw Theatre this October with their production of Brian Friel's 'Translations', directed by Paddy Behan.

Set in the Donegal Village of Baile Beag (Ballybeg) in August 1833, 'Translations' examines the fractious relationship between people and nations through the lens of a wide range of issues, stretching from language and communication to Irish history and cultural imperialism.

Having always had a keen interest in Friel's work since appearing in 'Philadelphia, here I come!' in the 70s, director Paddy Behan said taking on the mammoth task of this intensely intricate production could be the last chance he gets.

"I decided in my innocence in the 80s, that I wanted to do this, the play was probably out about 5 years at the time, and I had seen a production of it with Ray McNally in the Gaiety. I had never produced anything in my life before, so, wisely, it went against the committees grain to have a neophyte direct a play like this."

Putting it on the backburner over the years, Paddy was finally approached by Paul McManus and Paul Dunne of Carlow Little Theatre to bring 'Translations' to life.

"At this stage I was getting older and semi retired from the committee, and I happened to say it to Paul Dunne maybe five or six years ago that 'Translations' had always been my ambition, and both himself and Paul McManus approached me this year and asked would I like to direct it, after the Covid hiatus. After some hesitation I said I may never get the chance again and I went for it."

The subtlety of Friel's work is certainly not lost on Behan, having directed six of his plays throughout his long and revered career.

"Friel is subtle, everything he does and says has multiple levels of depth and is so applicable to a small village but is universally applicable as well.

"Every one of his plays have their own little endearments to them. The loves of Cass McGuire, with its fabulous part for the main woman, that really went well for us here.

"The first one I did was a short, not so much a one-act, but a 55-minute play called 'The London Vertigo', a romp, although Friel doesn't really do romps, but that was very good.

"Then if you look at 'Dancing at Lughnasa', a very powerful play from another point of view.

"The one that kind of appeals to me a lot was 'Philadelphia, here I come!', because I was in it back in the 1970s, and that really set me off on Friel, but the more I become involved with 'Translations', the more I see in it."

'Translations' is centred around a rural hedge-school at a moment of historical transition, where classes conducted in Irish are soon to be replaced by a national education system in which English is the official language. At the same time, British soldiers are engaged in an ordnance survey involving the anglicisation of Irish place names.

Friel's celebrated work explores these radical changes and reveals the unexpectedly far-reaching personal and cultural effects of these actions, which at first-sight seem purely administrative and harmless.

No small feat, this production relies heavily on it's nuanced dialogue, delivered by it's cast of 10, each more important than the last, according to Paddy.

"It's totally an ensemble. Even the character with the least words, the play wouldn't work without her, and it just wouldn't work without anybody else in it, you have to trust your instincts a lot."

Casting the production had its challenges, but has ultimately paid off says Paddy.

"For the first time ever, the first readings we held, there was only one woman who attended, and that was it.

"That went on for 2 or 3 readings and I was saying to the committee, I'm really not sure if we can cast this, and then one evening about 10 women turned up, which was terrific.

"The men, all the time there was too many, I'd never seen as many men turn up.

"A lot of them I had seen for the first time in Juno and the Paycock, I had never seen them on stage before and quickly realised that some of them had a very good presence.

"With the help of some of the other members that knew them that little bit better than me, we opted for the cast that we have now, and it's working out terrifically.

"Rehearsals are a delight, there's no issues, there's no egos stamping the floor. That's the great thing about the cast, they're terrific."

As with most of Friel's works, the subtle balance of humour and seriousness throughout 'Translations' can make the viewer relate to the characters in a deep and meaningful way, something Paddy is very eager to emulate.

"It's always worrying, you tend to take on the worry of the cast and the worry of the production, but generally it works out pretty ok.

"Having done a few Friel plays at this stage, you get a feel for him and you get used to him. You can tell where he would have had a smile on his face where he has written something, and you know he was having a bit of fun there, so in time I could pick up where there was a bit of fun and where there is zero fun.

"There's a couple of places in this particular play where some of the people are having a bit of fun, and nobody else is, so that can be a bit of a hard line to thread.

"You can't mess with a classic and as far as my own stamp is concerned, that all lies in the characters.

"One thing that would have kept me awake at night at the early stages was the set, but since sculptor, artist, and set builder Tadgh McSweeney came on board, who has also had significant input in the lighting and soundtrack, there have been no issues at all. In fact at this stage, I think there are people who will come to the play just to see what he has built, as much as to see the actual play"

Being semi-retired from the Carlow Little Theatre scene, Paddy said the forced hiatus during the pandemic gave him time to take stock and think about his future within this beloved committee.

"I would have said, a year into the pandemic, I'm never going back. I kind of put up a notice saying I'm retired from directing and acting.

"But a week later the lads reached out to me do this, so you can never say never. If the right part came up for me, it would be very hard to turn it down."

'Translations' opens on Thursday October 20, and runs until Saturday October 22 with performances at 8pm.

Tickets are €21 and can be purchased here.

This production is not to be missed!