Josephine McCaffrey

Raglan Road The London-based Croft Productions treated an appreciative audience to a very entertaining evening at Tuar Ard Arts Centre when their production of On Raglan Road was performed for one night only. The script, written by Tom O’Brien, could be described as a potted biography of the troubled Monaghan genius. Kavanagh (Nik Wood-Jones) and his infatuation with Hilda Moriarty (Josephine Mc Caffrey) was the vehicle used to introduce reflective reminiscences which brought us from the stony grey soil to the famous bench on Raglan Road. His rivalry with Brendan Behan (Jimmy O’Rourke) brought many laughs without suggesting any warmth in the relationship. A simple set coupled with the excellent acoustics in Tuar Ard lent itself to the bleakness of a life which often promised great rewards before the inevitable self destruct button was pressed. Keep an eye out for Josephine McCaffrey, as Hilda she never faltered with the Irish accent and her singing voice is captivating. Nik Wood Jones as Kavanagh gave a powerful vocal delivery but for me he was too clean-shaven and the long manicured nails did not appear to have seen much stony grey soil. Jimmy O’Rourke as Behan is one of those characters who just bounded on to the stage and before he spoke a word the audience was laughing at his demeanour. A tendency to start off in a Dublin accent and finish with a cockney twist left me wondering if this was deliberate (reflecting Behan’s time as a Borstal Boy) or accidental. The audience gave the cast a standing ovation at the finish which does not often happen at a play in Tuar Ard Arts Centre so the Croft Productions team can feel well pleased with their evenings work. There is some talk of another Irish tour from Croft Productions which I would hope will include another visit to Moate. Looking at their schedule I wonder who was the planner who brought them from Monaghan to Macroom on successive nights?Coming home is hard to do Money from America, tells the tale of Jack Carey, who returns to rural Ireland after years trying to make his fortune in America. By Shelley Marsden - 12/08/08Having sent money back regularly to his farmer brother Lardy over the years, he comes back to stake his rightful claim as elder sibling to the farm. Lardy’s not ready to let go that easily, so used is he to a life of rural contentment, his only company an omnipresent glass of poitin and the chatter of Molly the pig farmer.When Jack’s snooty fiancée Phyllis waltzes in from Dublin to tie up loose ends, old secrets come to the fore and people lose their cool. Subsequently, Jack is discovered dead in a pool of blood after a bawdy drinking session with his brother – and the police are determined to find their culprit – but not is all as it seems...Written by Tom O’Brien and directed by John Dunne and part of ‘The Waterford Trilogy’, ‘Money From America’ provides an interesting look at what can happen when old Ireland and modern America come face to face; when the past catches up with people and when painful secrets refuse to remain buried. It engages well with its characters and does much to recreate the rural farmhouse and its simple-living inhabitants.The cast is generally strong, and there are some nice touches – one in the form of young Molly (Josephine McCaffrey, pictured), who appears like a ghost from the past to interrupt the present with her haunting singing and her cutting tongue. Frank Fitzpatrick is another, giving a convincing turn as city boy Jack in his smart suit, in stark contrast to Lardy (Alexander Gordon-Wood) with his grumbles, his mucky face and holey jumper.Jimmy O’Rourke provides light relief from what can sometimes be a slightly overly complex plot in the form of Detective McClusky, with his comic expressions and broad Dublin tones, as does the plodding Sergeant (Seamus Casey) whose understated performance couldn’t help but bring Ardal O’Hanlon as Father Dougal to mind.The play could have been a little shorter, and it would be nice to see characters delve more into the psychology behind emigration and coming home, but all in all proves an entertaining piece of theatre, and a great night out at one of London’s best fringe venues.‘Money from America’ runs at Old Red Lion, Islington until 30 Aug @ 7.30 (Sundays @ 4pm). Tickets £12 (£10 conc.Tue-Thu only). www.oldredliontheatre.co.uk Tel: 0207 833 3053/0207 833 9818."Art is a representation of self, not an imitation of something else"
Josephine McCaffrey.
I sing, act, write and I have been known for doing a bit of stand up. I love life and people. I believe that there is good in everyone, just harder to see sometimes. I'm close to my family and I love my mummy. My passions are music and the theatre as long as I'm doing something that relates to this I'm happy.
Email: [email protected]
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Theatre Experience
2008 Money From America, Molly, The Broadway Theatre
2007 Behan's Women, Beatrice, Pentameters
2006 On Raglan Road, Hilda, The Kings Head
2005 On Raglan Road, Hilda, The Plough Theatre
2004 Dance Hall Days, Rosie, Riverside Studios
2003 Panic on Broadway, Lead Vocalist, Tour of Finland
2003 In Hot Water, Sarah, The Barn Theatre
2002 Little Crush, Catherine, The Barn Theatre
2001 Dangerous Liaisons, Ceilli , The Little Theatre
2000 Once a Catholic, Mother Peter, The Little Theatre
2000 Electra, Electra, Studio One
1999 Apples, Delilah, Studio One.
Singing Experience
1999 to 2001 The South Devon Music Festival
1999 to 2000 (Summer Seasons) Cabaret Act, South Devon.
Accents
Devonshire, Liverpudlian, Yorkshire, Leeds, Birmingham, Cockney, Irish (All), American (All), Scottish and a good ears for other accents
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Money From America by Tom O’BrienDirected by Jillian WallisA review by David Hermann for EXTRA! EXTRA!Are you theatrically well-nourished? Do you keep a diet of whatever delicacies are dished out between the National, the two Vics and the Haymarket, balanced with a healthy dose of Central London fringe once every two weeks? Then, by all means, read no further.If, however, you find yourself wondering occasionally what happened to the primal, wholesome enjoyment you used to feel long ago when sprawling across the front row of a small auditorium, drink in hand and ready to engage with whatever they hurl at you, then tell your friends to stuff that amazing new dance company from Azerbaijan, pull on a pair of woollen socks and head down to Catford’s Broadway Studio to remind yourself what the essence of Theatre feels like with Croft Productions’ wholesome interpretation of Tom O’Brien’s murder mystery Money from America.Like the play itself, the backdrop of Jenny Carpenter’s set, an effortlessly painted pastoral scene, asserts no claim to realism. The disconnected greens of pine trees float just so beside their simply drawn brown trunks while a flock of birds hangs suspended as different-sized black v-shapes above a range of rocky hills. The audience may glimpse only a small part of this landscape through a window left by a draughty wall of haphazardly nailed-together planks adorned with all manner of farm-equipment, hockey sticks, empty bottles of various shapes and sizes and the obligatory catholic kitsch depiction of Jesus and the sacred heart.For those in any doubt that we are, indeed, in a rural part of the Republic of Ireland, a photograph of Irish independence champion Éamon de Valera leans against the wall and an ornamental dishcloth depicting the country’s outline and the Azure, and a harp covers an upstage kitchen sink. Are we to take this as a statement of intent? A subtle proclamation, perhaps, that this is not quite British Kitchen Sink Realism but its rambunctious, less realistic but nonetheless poignant Irish cousin? Very likely. This production is deceptively gaudy, hiding its finer points under a blanket of thickly spread character acting, precipitated by O’Brien’s text and dutifully staged by Jillian Wallis under the watchful eyes of artistic director John Dunne.In a desperately funny performance that oddly exudes a vibe of Wallace-deserted-by-Gromit, Alexander Gordon-Wood plays Lardy, a kooky, poitín-distilling shepherd whose only company is Molly the pig-farmer, played in an outrageously butch manner by Josephine McCaffrey. Lardy has been subsidised over the years by older brother Jack (Desmond Brittain), who returns after thirty years of living in America to stake his rightful claim on the family farm, which he plans to turn into a seaside resort at the urging of Phyllis, his toffee-nosed fiancée from Dublin. Jack is eventually found murdered in what appears to be a biblical case of fratricide, where the sedentary brother slays the nomadic one in a fit of jealousy. When detective McClusky (Jimmy O’Rourke) is brought in to investigate, however, the story twists off towards an altogether different conclusion.Money from America is a cosy whodunnit, best enjoyed with a pint of Guinness, an appetite for gorgeously over-the-top acting and a willingness to relish its hidden gems, such as the two references to Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Outstandingly nuanced performances are delivered by Jacqueline Jordan and Josephine McCaffrey, particularly in their final scene together. The same goes for Brittain and Gordon-Wood, a circumstance which suggests that Jillian Wallis devoted particular attention to these duologues - an attention that some of the busier scenes could have done with. Another directorial once-over could elevate this production into the sublime.Still, even in its current state, CroftProductions’ Money from America was enjoyed intensely by its local audience, soliciting spontaneous applause in unexpected places and radiating a sense of authenticity, perhaps, as John Dunne points out, because each cast-member is to some extent part of the Irish Diaspora. Having said that, Money from America can and should be enjoyed especially by those who know nothing about Ireland and its history except the IRA and Father Ted. And if Catford is too far out of your way, the good news is that you can get your fix of rooted-to-the-soil-theatre in August, when the production transfers to the Old Red Lion in what will doubtless be an even more satisfying show.