Based on Emma Donoghue’s stage adaptation of her 1996 radio play Trespasses, the opera with a libretto by Renate Debrun is a fictionalization of the judge’s own account of the case of Florence Newton in Youghal in 1661 – one of only a handful of witch trials that ever took place in Ireland.
Both the commission and production of Vagabones were generously supported by the Arts Council of Ireland.
The cast features Carolyn Holt as Florence Newton, Rory Dunne is Valentine Greatrakes, Kelli-Ann Masterson sings Donal O’Dare, Baritone Rory Musgrave is the Mayor of Youghal, Sarah Power sings Mary Longdon, Ross Scanlon is John Pyne, Fionn Ó hAlmhain takes the spoken role of the jailer Ned Perry and Sinead Hayes conducts the Crash Ensemble in this production directed by Ben Barnes.
Vagabones was the final project designed by the award-winning designer Monica Frawley who sadly passed away in February this year and we would like to dedicate tonight’s broadcast to her memory.
(Recorded in The Civic Theatre, Tallaght in September 2019)
RTÉ lyric fm, Saturday 25th July, 7pm-10pm