Sunday Plague Shut-In Radio Drama - David Zane Mairowitz-- James’s Story

James’s Story

James’s Story is a new play written and directed by the internationally acclaimed author, David Zane Mairowitz.

In James’s Story, an Englishman remembers a holiday to Dingle in 1968, while his memories are revised and re-animated by his friend, the Story Poacher.

Two episodes haunt James’s memory: A chance meeting with an old man; and a tense encounter in a local pub, coloured by legacies of the War of Independence. Only the Story Poacher can connect both events.

The play stars Stephen Rea as the Story Poacher.James of the title is James Rooke himself, who reads his own story.

The drama was partially recorded on location in Dingle and features a host of local actors and musicians including Páidí Mharthain Mac Gearailt, Noel Ó Maoileoin, Pádraig Ó’Sé (Box Accordion) and dancer Tomás Ó’Sé.

The programme was funded by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland with the Television Licence FeeJames’s Story – 

Production CreditsWriter/Director David Zane Mairowitz

Stephen Rea (The Story Poacher)

James Rooke (as Himself)

Tom Macqueen (James as a Young Man)

Páidí Mharthain Mac Gearailt (The Old Farmer)

Richard Smallwood (The Lighthouse Keeper)

Róisín Dalby, (The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter)

Cristín de Mordha (The Barmaid)

Antaine Ó Séaghdha (The Young Boy)

Tomás Ó’Sé (Dancer)

Pádraig Ó’ Sé (Accordion)

Singers: Páidí Mharthain Mac Gearailt, Noel Ó Maoileoin, Maitias MacCárthaigh, Iarfhlaith Ó’Murchú, Boscó Ó’Conchúir, Pádraig Ó’Sé, and Marcus Mac Domhnaill

Contributors to the Documentary Sequences:

Jannette Uí Shúilleabhain, daughter of Eileen O’Connor,

Boscó Ó’Conchúir,

Sinead Joy, author of The IRA in Kerry 1916-1921

Pádraig Ó Héalaí , former Senior Lecturer in Modern Irish at NUI, GalwayAnd from the archives, the voice of Rebel Leader Frank Thornton.

Translation was by Tristan Rosenstock and Kevin Reynolds

Sound supervision and Sound Design were by Damian Chennells.

Broadcast Co-ordinator: Jarlath Holland.

Producer: Kevin BrewSeries 

Producer, Drama On One: Kevin Reynolds.

Special thanks to, Áine Delaney, and Séamus Ó’Súilleabháin for participating in recordings for the programme.

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It takes a bit longer to get going than your typical radio drama, breaking the rule that you've got to grab the in about the first thirty seconds  but as it ended it made me think it was one of the best ones I've posted,  up there with Seeing In The Dark by Gordon Pengilly.   Good use of radio as a medium. 

I'd never heard of David Zane Mairowitz before (you can't read everyone worth reading) but looking him up I'm certainly going to be pursuing his stuff.  One of the things that looks intriguing is The Radical Soap Opera: Roots of Failure in the American Left from 1974, though I'm afraid if I find it I'll be kicking myself that I could have found out someone else figured out a lot of what I've taken far longer to see.  Or maybe I'll totally disagree with him. 

He's written quite a number of radio dramas,  here's another description of this one from that website.

The radio drama kicks off from a rather simple, but startling anecdote. Two young English art students, vacationing in a remote area of Kerry in the late 1960s, pass an old Irish farmer in a country lane. Hearing them speaking English, he calls to them and asks where they’re from. When they reply they are from London, he declares ‘I killed an Englishman once". The man explains that the event occurred at the time of the Troubles, when Sinn Fein exhorted the villagers to kill an Englishman. The men and boys over 14 draw straws and the task falls to the person who is now, years later, the old man telling the story. The narrator, listens, but starts to put his own interpretation on what he hears.