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Edinburgh Reporter
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Reporter
Fringe 2025 – Our Brothers in Cloth ⭐⭐⭐⭐
In 2005 the Irish government published the Ferns Report on its inquiry into allegations of child sexual abuse in the Diocese of Ferns, County Wexford. The report looked solely at the responses of the Roman Catholic church and the civil authorities to the allegations. The report was highly critical of the diocesan bishop, the police and the local health authorities. Twenty years later, Irish writer Ronan Colfer brings his play Our Brothers in Cloth to the Fringe. Colfer's own family was deeply affected by clerical child sex abuse, which resulted in the suicide of a close relative. Our Brothers in Cloth focuses on the devastating impact of clerical abuse on one family, the aftershocks that reverberate from it, and the refusal of a very traditional rural community to accept the truth. In recent years we have seen how women have suffered at the hands of the Catholic church (Small Things Like These, The Magdalene Sisters, The Woman in the Wall); Colfer looks instead at the abuse of young children and the ways in which the perpetrators were protected, as much by lay people's reluctance to face facts as by the authorities' unwillingness to tarnish the reputation of the most powerful organisation in 20th century Ireland. The Kinsella family is mourning its younger son, Christopher, who has taken his own life. His brother Alan (Jake Douglas) burns with grief and guilt; when Chris first attempted suicide a horrified Alan just gave him a good telling off. Since Chris died, the much loved parish priest Fr Mulvaney has moved away, replaced by Fr Seamus O'Donovan (Ronan Colfer); when Alan's friend Mark (Michael Lavin) comes home from London for a visit, we find out why. From then on Alan is on a mission to expose Mulvaney's guilt, but he faces fierce opposition from his mother Martina (Rosalind Stockwell), who can't accept that any priest could do such things. There's been a reported case down in Kerry, and that priest was exonerated by the church; this is all just more lies and rumour. When Mulvaney is finally arrested, Alan thinks many people will come forward – but none does. Douglas powerfully conveys Alan's isolation and despair; he has nowhere to turn, and even when he speaks to his former girlfriend Siobhan (Oli Fyne), she, while sympathetic, is doubtful. Fr Mulveney was such a good man, such a compassionate man, so helpful. He even set up the work scheme that Alan's lately been attending. Despite this, Siobhan and Alan's nightime meeting is a welcome and tender interlude in what is otherwise a tense and rightly shocking hour. Their love for one another is evident; she's the only person in the town who listens to him, despite her misgivings, and the chemistry between them poignantly exposes Alan's vulnerability. Into all this mess comes Fr O'Donovan. He wants to help the Kinsellas; he's holding meetings that Martina's making Alan attend to try to get him off the drink. He offers Martina counselling. He preaches sermons about the evils of alcohol, and quotes, without irony, from Proverbs about not believing deceitful people. He tells Alan that the Bishop will now investigate the accusations against Mulvaney – then ruins it all by adding, 'Father Mulvaney will be found to be innocent.' When Fr O'Donovan tries to defend the church, to separate it from the alleged abusers, Alan brings the full force of his rage down on the priest, 'This church been nothing but a scourge on Ireland!' Whilst every word Alan says rings true, this part of the play did feel a little didactic. I wasn't sure that it fitted Alan's character; yes he is angry and frustrated, but he's also an unemployed labourer, and this speech sounds more like that of an academic. Nevertheless, the central relationship between Alan and his mother is completely convincing at all times. Martina is scandalised by her son's attack on her beloved church; already broken by Chris's death she relies on her priest to get her through – where can she turn if the church itself is culpable? There is a touching scene at the end when she slips back into her memories of the boys' early childhood; as she talks through a particular event a look of uncertainty crosses her face. Was she wrong after all? And if she was, what does that mean for her family, her faith and her life in the small community she's always known? The acting in Our Brothers in Cloth is faultless. Jake Douglas is outstanding as Alan, but every character is played with nuance and skill. Traditional music is used to separate scenes, emphasising the rural and traditional nature of the town, and perhaps also its reluctance to question its long held views. The simple set design works well; having the non—speaking characters in some scenes remain seated at the back of the stage is a very effective way of implying their unwilling involvement. They can try to pretend they don't know what's happening, but they're still present in the moment, they can't escape. Another excellent touch is the loud ticking of the clock, which becomes particularly noticeable when Fr O'Donovan wants to talk to Alan about Chris. In the silence that follows, the clock is like the ticking of a time bomb; when Alan's rage explodes, I was so shocked I jumped in my seat. It's the silence of a nation, about to be shattered forever. Our Brothers in Cloth is a Poke the Bear Production, directed by Ryan McVeigh and produced by Oli Fyne and Ronan Colfer. See it at Assembly George Square, Studio 5 (Venue 20) at 12.15pm every day until 25 August. Tickets here. Please note: there is no show on Tuesday 19 August. For this production, Poke the Bear are partnering with survivors' charities Nexus NI and The Survivors Trust, and activist survivors Colm O'Gorman (who campaigned to have the Ferns Inquiry set up) and Sean Faloon. Like this: Like Related
Glasgow Times
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
10 pictures that tell story of Glasgow school and its Hollywood links
Lourdes Secondary featured in the 2010 film Neds, directed and written by former pupil Peter Mullan. The Braveheart, Trainspotting and Harry Potter actor has said in the past that lessons learned at the school helped him to become the man he is. The cast of Neds (Image: BFI) Mullan, who wrote The Magdalene Sisters, said in an interview with The Herald in 2018: 'I'm not Catholic now and I'm not particularly religious now…having said that, there was a values system that even as a young kid I always appreciated.' (Image: Kirsty Anderson/Newsquest) The star, who was in Glasgow to receive an honorary degree of Doctor of Drama from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, added: 'I liked the idea of the collective and more than anything I liked the idea that it is better to give than receive. 'That always struck me as a good philosophy because it was just and it seemed fair. I'll always appreciate having learned that from school.' (Image: Newsquest) The school was established in 1956, with the main building designed by Thomas Smith Cordiner. An extension was added in the 1970s. Pupils from Lourdes have often featured in the Glasgow Times over the decades. In 2023, they scooped the top prize in a competition aimed at tackling marine litter in the River Clyde. The pupils won the Best Investigation prize in the STEM the Flow Engineering Challenge Teacher Gary Marshall was 'delighted' with the students. He said: 'They put in so much hard work and have shown ingenuity and passion.' (Image: Newsquest) In 2004, pupils from Lourdes Secondary School in Cardonald set up their own film company in a project to develop their business skills. Louise McKenna, 16, Paul Hogan, 17, Paul Brooks, 16, Laura Breaden, 15 and Alex Craig 16 are pictured celebrating the initiative. (Image: Newsquest) Lourdes Secondary pupil Mark McGettigan hit the headlines when he helped uncover three long-lost medieval gravestones during a community archaeology dig in Glasgow. The then 14-year-old, volunteering along with his mother, Sandra was helping the Stones and Bones dig at Govan Old Parish Church. Professor Stephen Driscoll, the University of Glasgow's Professor of Historical Archaeology and part of The Govan Heritage Trust, said Mark's find was 'the most exciting discovery we have had at Govan in the last 20 years'. (Image: Newsquest) It's not just Lourdes Secondary pupils who have made the news over the years. In 2009, dinner ladies from Lourdes secondary school had a special night out at the King's Theatre in Glasgow, watching…. Dinner Ladies. Pictured are Sandra Whiteside, Helen Black, Linda Hughes, Anne Docherty and Janet Watt. The Bluebells (Image: Newsquest) Bluebells star Robert Hodgens attended Lourdes Secondary, as did former Motherwell and Celtic striker Tommy Coyne. (Image: Newsquest) Tommy, who was raised in Govan, also played for Clydebank, Dundee United and Dundee and he was top goalscorer of the Scottish Premier Division three times, The striker played international football for the Republic of Ireland, qualifying due to his Irish ancestry. (Image: Newsquest) Another famous ex-pupil is David O'Hara is best known for playing Stephen, the Irishman who joins forces with William Wallace (played by Mel Gibson) in the 1995 movie Braveheart. He is also an accomplished Shakespearean actor, having performed in a variety of productions with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Born in Pollok, the son of a retired labourer, his mother sadly died when he was a child. A YOPs scheme at Glasgow Arts Centre led him to the Central School of Speech and Drama in London and roles in Bill Forsyth's Comfort and Joy and the BBC's The Monocled Mutineer followed. In an interview with our sister newspaper The Herald in 1992, he said acting 'did everything for me.'
The Independent
15-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Paddy Higson death: Taggart producer called ‘mother of Scottish film' dies, aged 83
Film producer Paddy Higson, branded the 'mother of the Scottish film industry', has died, aged 83, following a cancer diagnosis. The producer was best known for her work on the 1981 film Gregory's Girl as well as producing multiple episodes of detective drama Taggart. Her children Michael, Chris and Frances paid tribute to their mother in a Facebook post, writing: "Yesterday evening our mum's battle with cancer reached its inevitable conclusion and she passed gently away surrounded by her family and so much love. "Not only have the three of us lost our amazing and extraordinary mother, we as a wider community have lost a kind and generous, supportive and selfless pioneer. "We are heartbroken but find comfort in knowing she is no longer suffering." They promised to announce funeral arrangements later. Actor David Hayman described her as "the mother of the Scottish film industry". Higson's career began in the 1970s when she worked as a production secretary for the BBC. She worked with directors Bill Forsyth, with whom she made 1981 cult classic Gregory's Girl, and Peter Mullan who she worked with on The Magdalene Sisters and Orphans. Higson also produced several episodes of the TV shows Taggart, Monarch of the Glen and Cardiac Arrest. In 2018, Higson was awarded a BAFTA for her Outstanding Contribution to the Scottish Industry. BAFTA Scotland paid tribute to Higson on social media, writing: 'We were saddened to hear of the passing of Paddy Higson OBE. They added: 'Higson was a trailblazer in the Scottish screen industry.' Despite retiring, Higson continued to work on the children's television show Katie Morag and headed up the filmmaking charity GMAC. Speaking to GMAC about her work in 2019, she confessed: 'I got involved in film by accident, if you like. 'I was working at the BBC as a production secretary and the producer I was working for at the time got involved in doing some early television programmes. I went along as his assistant. 'Through that, I met my husband who was a film editor. Later he had a company with another film editor and director, Murray Grigor – Viz Ltd. They made documentary films for an organisation called Films of Scotland. 'They wanted somebody to organise things for them. I seemed to be quite good at it, so I got involved. I got a huge amount of pleasure from facilitating and making things happen.' Higson was also awarded the OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2023 King's New Years Honours List for her services to the Film and Television Industry and to Diversity and Inclusion in Film and Television. This recognition came as a testament to her significant contribution to film and television, as well as her commitment to advancing diversity and inclusion within the sector.
