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Cry Of the Dreamer’ tells the amazing story of a lesser-known Irish hero John Boyle O’Reilly. In this show Tyrrell effortlessly traces his journey from early childhood set against a backdrop of famine, revolution, Fenianism and penal servitude for life in Australia and his great escape from there to the USA. O’Reilly was born in 1844. He joined the British cavalry in 1866 with the purpose of converting the Irishmen in his regiment to Fenianism. He was tried for treason and sentenced to penal servitude for life in Fremantle penal colony in Australia. He fell in love with his overseer’s daughter and she with him it was an intimate love affair and it was even rumoured locally though without substantiation that she became pregnant by him. Rejected by Jesse he tried to commit suicide but was found before he could succeed. He escaped the penal colony aboard an American whaling ship. While aboard the Gazelle he went on a whale hunt and nearly lost his life when the whale smashed the boat. He settled in Boston and became the editor and part-owner of The Pilot newspaper. Joseph Pulitzer commissioned him to write a poem for the unveiling of the Statue of Liberty. He championed Native and African American rights and spoke out against anti-Semitism. He devised the plan that rescued the other Fenians he left behind in Fremantle prison on board an American whaling ship the Catalpa. Songs in the show allow Tyrrell connect history of the 19th century and modern times in a seamless way. Songs are drawn from a wide variety of sources: Oscar Wilde, Francis Ledwidge, Bob Dillon, Louise Mc Neice, John Lennon, Skin The Goat. and many more. These are an integral part of the tale and illustrate how O’Reilly was way ahead of his time, a majestic human being. Tyrrell’s love of traditional music is very much to the fore as the story is cleverly tied together with jigs, reels, a march, and a few slow airs. Using an array of instruments, Seán weaves effortlessly between narrative, instrumental and song. This show will hopefully be touring all the places that O’Reilly visited in his short life. Dublin, London, Fremantle, Liverpool, Philadelphia, New York and Boston. He lectured on Irish music and poetry to audiences as large as 4000 at the following Syracuse, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Chicago, Butte, Seattle-Tacoma, Portland, Sacramento; and San Francisco. John Boyle O’Reilly 1844-1890. Visionary, Poet, heart of a rebel, courage of a freedom fighter, commitment of a civil rights activist, blood of true born Irishman. Persecuted, condemned and banished from Ireland to the Penal Colonies in Australia, for his political beliefs and activities. An epic journey unfolds and flows. Dennis Mc Sharry. Poet. Some will see it as history, some as poetry, some as storytelling, some as singing, some as theatre, some will be overwhelmed by mans abuse of man, some will have an epiphany. Mike Considine. Noteable Arts. His very important story crosses three continents, jail, persecution and escape. It’s a tale woven in song, part spoken word, part history lesson. The experience takes the audience back to an almost theatre in the round experience. You will be led across a dance-floor of words so lovely, so dire and so hopeful that there can only be one feeling when it is over. The kind of exhaustion that comes from awe. David Bridson. Yachats Festival Presenter, Oregon. This riveting stage presentation brings this forgotten visionary-poet to life. Weaving a varied tapestry of traditional music, song, words and poetry, through the extraordinary talents of singer-bard Seán Tyrrell, whose passion for O'Reilly’s life, work and poetry inhabits and permeates this stunning theatrical presentation. A must see! Dr. PJ Curtis. Radio Presenter, Record Producer Author.
I would like to acknowledge generous support for the developement of this show from The Deis scheme the Irish Arts Council. |
