Celebrated singer-songwriter Mick Flannery, writer Ursula Rani Sarma, and director Annabelle Comyn have transformed Flannery’s acclaimed concept album, Evening Train, into a stunning new musical and it premieres at Cork Midsummer Festival next week, Friday, June 14 and continues until Sunday, June 23.
The stage adaptation of Evening Train is woven through with incredible music and lyrics from Mick Flannery. With a phenomenal cast of Irish actors – Charlie Bonner, Brian Doherty, Deirdre Donnelly, Ger Kelly, Ian Lloyd Anderson, John McCarthy, Kate Stanley Brennan, and a live band that includes Flannery, Evening Train will be an unmissable night at the theatre.
Evening Train was Flannery’s debut album released in 2007. He had started initially to write a musical, but after numerous attempts at dialogue he decided to make an album accompanied by a simple narrative thread. A few times throughout the years that followed, various people approached him with idea of performing the album on stage or on screen. He says:
“Ursula rang me one day to say she’d be interested in writing a stage adaptation of the album and I think she’s done a wonderful job of bringing the world to life, giving more meat to the characters, adding and subtracting with her knowledge of the theatre world. I’ve had a great time working with Ursula. It has been a long road getting this play to the stage and I thank everybody involved.”
Ursula commented:
“The first time I listened to Evening Train, the world and the characters within it sprang to theatrical life in my mind. I felt instinctively that this album could become a beautiful, and memorable night in the theatre. It’s been an honour to create a play that weaves around these incredible songs and a real joy to work with Mick in the development of this production.”
In the story of Evening Train, we meet Grace, who dreams of a new life far away from her hometown, as she waits for Luther. He’s late. Again. Elsewhere in town, bartender Frank surrenders yet another pay cheque to cover his reckless brother’s gambling debts, while Luther promises Grace that by Christmas, he’ll have made enough money to get them out of town. Before long, a high stakes game is underway, in which everyone is a player, whether they like it or not.
Evening Train runs nightly from Thursday, June 13 – Sunday, June 23 7.30pm. Tickets €25, concession €30, students €25, are on sale now from everymancork.com or from the Box Office, phone 021 4501 673.