Abbey Theatre, 1904

The project launch, at the Samuel Beckett Theatre on Friday 15th April 2011, at 7pm, ought to be a good event. The VIP invitations are being RSVP’d with some enthusiasm, and I’m delighted to see so many of the people who have so generously and imaginatively contributed their knowledge, skills or time to the project signing up.

The poster, by Brendan McCarthy, looks pretty snazzy: it takes a wireframe image of the model, and gives it the colour-scheme of an architectural blueprint. The fonts give it an additional modern/digital feel.

There’ll be wine and nibbles at the reception on 15th, a few words by the Provost, Dr John Hegarty, and then some more from me, before the performance, S H I F T, takes place at 8pm.

I haven’t blogged much about S H I F T here, in order to keep the focus of this site on the reconstruction of the theatre, but it’s shaping up to be a really exciting event, involving live music, performance, and video art with highly imaginative sound and lighting and set design. Director, Dan Bergin, has done fantastic work devising and scripting the performance, so that, like the Playboy riots of 1907, it combines both scripted and improvised elements, for performers and spectators alike.

A certain amount of media attention, too: Niall from NOHO and I did an interview with Lyric FM yesterday morning, and we’re hoping to have a feature in this Friday’s Technology pages in the Irish Times. Caoimhe Ní Lochlainn and Sharon Campbell in Trinity’s Communications Office have been brilliant, getting the word out to the press, and onto Trinity’s website and mailing lists.

Catering’s booked. Just some last minute “details” now remaining about technical aspects of the launch, oh yes, and programme notes to write. I look forward to seeing whoever is able to make it on Friday!