Abbey Calling at Abbey Theatre

This DECEMBER, the Abbey Theatre will present Abbey Calling - a new initiative, bringing brilliant pieces of literature directly into the homes of those feeling isolated.

A partnership with mental health charity, Aware, Abbey Calling sees 50 of Ireland's leading actors make up to 2,000 phone calls. In each phone call, the performers will read a poem, perform a speech, perhaps sing a song, and, crucially, have a chat with the person on the other end of the phone.

The Abbey's audiences will be connected directly with its artists in this innovative new project, which can be booked, for free, at abbeytheatre.ie. It's the perfect gift for a family member or friend, in Ireland or abroad, who you might not see this Christmas, or who MAY not get to come home this year.

Bookers will be invited to make a discretionary donation to partner charity, Aware, during the booking process. All funds raised will contribute towards the organisation's vital mental health services, delivered in communities nationwide.

Abbey Theatre Co-Directors, Graham McLaren and Neil Murray, said: "As 2020 draws to a close, we remain determined to reach audiences who are missing live performance and feeling isolated. We are committed to keeping artists in employment and we are delighted to be employing 50 of Ireland's leading actors for the week of Abbey Calling. We are thrilled to partner with Aware on this project, an organisation that does so much for those in need, and all donations made for this project will go directly to them. We would also like to extend our thanks to the writers, their agents and various literary estates for allowing us to use their work as part of this initiative."

Aware Chief Executive Director, Dominic Layden, said: "We're delighted to have been chosen as the recipient charity for Abbey Calling. It's been a challenging year for everyone as we navigate through the uncertainty and life changes brought by COVID-19. Safety measures such as cocooning and social distancing are important for our physical health, but have taken a toll on our mental health and led to many feeling lonely and isolated. We are also missing the daily activities and experiences that we enjoyed and contributed positively towards our mental health - such as live performances. Abbey Calling is a fantastic initiative, providing important human connection while offering the opportunity to experience an exclusive live performance from one of Ireland's leading actors. It's a wonderful gift - whether it's for yourself, a loved one or someone in your community that would benefit from the experience."

The artists involved are:

Karen Ardiff

Steve Blount

Charlotte Bradley

Anthony Brophy

Catherine Byrne

Des Cave

Richard Clements

Grace Collender

Juliette Crosbie

Muiris Crowley

Faoileann Cunningham

Paul Curley

Alan Devally

Rachael Dowling

Nick Dunning

Hilda Fay

Maeve Fitzgerald

Mark Fitzgerald

Eva-Jane Gaffney

Donal Gallery

Anna Healy

Aron Hegarty

Bosco Hogan

Katie Honan

Stephen Jones

Jade Jordan

Aidan Kelly

Marcus Lamb

Lisa Lambe

Mark Lambert

Andrew Linnie

Laurence Lowry

Sarah Madigan

Daryl McCormack

Barry McGovern

Dan Monaghan

Bill Murphy

Mary Murray

Maire Ní Ghrainne

Brid Ní Neachtain

Helen Norton

Maureen O'Connell

Will O'Connell

Mary O'Driscoll

Aisling O'Sullivan

Rynagh O'Grady

John Olohan

Kevin Olohan

Jimmy Smallhorne

Catherine Walsh

They will perform one of the below:

1. Lace by Eavann Boland, and Still I Rise by MAYa Angelou

2. Seed by Paula Meehan, and Lines Written on a Seat on the Grand Canal, Dublin by Patrick Kavanagh

3. Song of Myself (Stanzas 1&2) by Walt Whitman and Aedh wishes for the cloths of Heaven by W.B. Yeats

4. The Lake Isle of Innisfree by W.B. Yeats, and Alone by MAYa Angelou

5. When all the others were away at Mass by Seamus Heaney, and Everything Is Going To Be All Right by Derek Mahon

6. Quarantine by Eavann Boland

7. Léiriú de dhá dhán, An Chead Brog le Máire Mac an tSaoi, agus Cul an Ti le Seán Ó Riordáin

8. An extract from Actress by Anne Enright

9. An extract from Solstice by Kevin Barry

10. An extract from The Dead by James Joyce

11. An extract from The Green Road by Anne Enright

12. A selection from Two for the Road by Roddy Doyle

13. An extract from Persuasion by Jane Austen

14. A performance of the song The Lass of Aughrim

15. A performance of the song The Auld Triangle

16. A performance of the song Down by The Salley Gardens

Abbey Calling takes place from 15th - 19th DECEMBER and free tickets can be booked on abbeytheatre.ie.