A peep behind scenes at rehearsals for Cork Midsummer Festival

AHEAD of the Cork Midsummer Festival, groups are gathering across the city to create puppets, practise their circus skills, and run lines.

It takes the work, and support, of hundreds of people to create a festival of this scale, but before it begins on June 14, I looked in on three Cork backstage spaces to get a taste of what lies ahead.

In the morning’s sun, I arrive at the colourful Lido building in Watercourse Road to visit Cork Community Arts Link (CCAL).

The level of industry that’s happening inside is mesmerising. Ornate cardboard hats line the table ready for today’s volunteers. Large sellotaped faces stand erect on tables, while the railings burst with every costume imaginable.

It’s a space where anything seems possible. Manager Aisling McCallion explains that, between planning the parade, pre-production meetings and workshops “we’re constantly working on it”.

The creation of the Midsummer Parade involves an army of nearly 200 participants. All of whom help design, create and deliver a parade to remember.

With Suisha Arts, Blackpool Community Access Program, National Learning Network, Blackpool Men’s Shed, Joan Denise Moriarty School of Dance, CCAL Drama Troupe and many more groups all involved, I wonder how they manage it all.

Aisling says that community groups are integral to all the preparations - “they have ownership of it, and it’s as much their parade as it is anyone else’s. That’s what’s really beautiful about it.”

As for finding a home for the different groups’ ideas, she explains: “That’s where William Frode de la Foret (director) and Beibhinn O’Callaghan (assistant director) come in. 

They always have this vision in their head of how to pull it together and still keep listening to everyone’s voice. It’s a skill for sure and it’s amazing to see that happen.

As I leave, I’m greeted by a community group streaming into the Lido for a facilitated workshop. The Lido is ready to welcome them and they are keen to begin work on what Aisling describes as the “big travelling train of madness” that will roll onto Oliver Plunkett Street on June 18.

Next, I cross the river to Centre Park Road where I join the Circus Factory. Here they will deliver the Four Lovers, a circus-infused excerpt from Midsummer Night’s Dream adapted by Cormac Mohally.

As the only building dedicated just to circus performers in the Republic, this is a special space that will form their stage.

Despite their rising insurance costs, the show will go on. To reduce both expense and waste, their set will use lighting and projections to bring the factory to life. Elements of the set that need to be made are being adapted from the equipment they already have.

Cast member and hip hop artist Ophelia McCabe is also composing all the music for the show, which demonstrates a pride and investment in the piece.

Listening to director Noelle Ní Ríagáin, it’s clear she values her team’s varied and accomplished skill set.

She says: ”You know, the reason all these people have been picked is because they’re class at what they do. I have a lot of trust in them.”

Mohally, who adapted and will perform in the show, says: “The story itself is interesting. But that story is sometimes disassociated from people because of the [Shakespearean] language. Or they think it has to be put on in a certain way.”

He explains: “We’re keeping the language, it’s pared right back and we’re interspersing it with circus, so the physical theatre aspect of the circus should also convey the story.”

Making Shakespeare accessible and fun is a priority, Noelle says.

Shakespeare wrote for the people… If you haven’t got a clue or you’re not really into Shakespeare. I think this will give you, hopefully, a love of it.

At almost midday, I arrive at the Granary Theatre UCC, on Western Road, where I find Deirdre Dwyer directing a cast of three in The Settling, an original play written by Gavin McEntee.

Deirdre studied Drama in UCC and says: “It feels really great to be back in the place where I learned my craft.”

She is a member of BrokenCrow, a collective of six theatre artists, who are bringing two original shows to the Midsummer Festival, The Settling and Found.

Deirdre explains: “It’s a busy time for us all. We really feel the benefit of being in such a prestigious arts festival.”

She describes the Midsummer Festival as a time when there is “so much happening per square foot of the city,” adding: “It’s a really special time of year where the arts gets to be at the forefront, not only for exposure to audiences, but also because there’s a community of artists who are all making work, who all get to be highlighted together.”

The Settling tells the story of an old man, caught in the recesses of his mind as actions, long buried, climb to the surface.

Watching the experienced actors run their lines in the Granary’s studio, their exchange is captivating. It’s only the scripts in hand that remind me this is only a rehearsal and the best is yet to come.

The arts pulse is on the rise across Cork city and it’s been a privilege to see a tiny snippet of what lies behind creating a 12-day festival.

Before the curtains go up, audiences still have time to prepare themselves by visiting www.corkmidsummer.com and curate their own festival experience.

Cork Midsummer Festival runs from June 14-25.