Druid announces new production about poet Eavan Boland, edited by Colm Tóibín

A new Druid theatrical production, Boland: Journey of a Poet, will be live streamed from The Mick Lally Theatre, Druid's home in Galway, Ireland, from Thursday 22 to Saturday 24 April. With words by Eavan Boland, edited by Colm Tóibín and directed by Garry Hynes, Boland: Journey of a Poet explores the mind and imagination of one of Ireland's great poets, Eavan Boland. The latest in Druid's online theatre series, Druid at Home, the production will also be made available on demand from April 27 to May 2. For tickets, see druid.ie.

Performed by Siobhán Cullen (Once Upon a Bridge, The Cherry Orchard, DruidShakespeare: Richard III), this world premiere production examines Boland's relationships with family, poetry, memory, womanhood and national identity. Eavan Boland passed away on 27 April 2020; her first-year anniversary will fall during the period of this new production, a fitting tribute to the late poet.

"Eavan Boland is an extraordinary Irish poet and essayist, and her standing only grows with time," said Garry Hynes, Druid's Artistic Director. "Working with her words, edited by Colm Tóibín, I am excited to bring this new live stream production to audiences throughout Ireland and the world."

"I feel privileged to have been commissioned by Druid to edit the words of Eavan Boland and present this new interpretation of her life and work," said Colm Tóibín. "It is my hope that her writing will forever be cherished by Irish people and people around the world, and that this production will remind us of her stature as a major poet."

Inspired by Eavan Boland's mother, the expressionist painter Frances Kelly, Boland: Journey of a Poet will feature the Irish artist Debbie Chapman live on stage who will create a piece of art in response to the production. The poster for this production also features one of Frances Kelly's paintings, a portrait of her daughter Eavan Boland as a young girl.

Boland: Journey of a Poet is the latest in Druid's series of online theatre, entitled Druid at Home. In February of this year, they presented the world premiere of Sonya Kelly's Once Upon a Bridge and, in March, an encore screening of their 2020 production of The Cherry Orchard. These productions were also streamed to audiences around the world, making Irish theatre accessible to global audiences.